The Dragon Overlord
by George J. Valtom
Summary: The freak. The runt. The weird one. All his life, Hiccup's been looked down on. And when even his father turns his back on him, he finally leaves. After hatching a plan to win the village's esteem, though, Hiccup accidentally finds himself the new leader of the dragons - and feared by everyone he knows. But he's still determined to gain their respect, one way or another…
1. Departure

"He who is skilled in attack flashes forth from the topmost heights of heaven."

Sun Tzu's _The Art of War_

* * *

><p>"Dad please, I promise you, you can't win this one!"<p>

Hiccup watched in horror as Stoick strode towards the door. Everything had spiraled so horribly out of control since the debacle in the arena: the village thought him a freak again, his best friend was in chains, and now his dad was walking towards certain death. It had all gone so very, very wrong...and Stoick was still walking.

"Dad, no...!" He hesitated, then ran up and tried to grab at his father's arm. "For once in your life, would you please just _listen_ to me?"

Stoick turned and shoved his son back, tossing him to the floor. Hiccup looked up as he began to go through the door. Then he paused, and turned to face Hiccup. His face was severe, and his voice even more so.

"You've thrown your lot in with _them_. You're not a Viking..."

He shook his head.

"You're not my son."

Stoick didn't wait to see the look on Hiccup's face before finally leaving.

"Ready the ships!"

As he hollered the order out to the village, though, he stopped, as the bitter words he had just uttered caught up to him. For a second he stood there, wondering if he'd gone too far...but he took a deep breath, and continued down to the docks.

Hiccup waited for him to leave, then ran down to the docks along his own path.

* * *

><p>"Come on, get the weapons down here!"<p>

The docks bustled with activity as boat after boat cast into the harbor, their furled sails waiting to be opened.

"Careful." Stoick warned as the Night Fury was roped into place. The dragon put up a tough fight, but was simply overpowered by all the men around it. With its mouth buckled shut with a strap of tough leather, the creature also couldn't use its fire, making it perfectly manageable - with a team effort, of course. "Get the collar on it, now!"

Two men grabbed a large wooden collar, chained to the board that the Night Fury sat on, and began trying to clamp it around the dragon's neck.

"Just do it fast, then it won't-"

"RAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Stoick turned and saw Hiccup charging down the dock, wielding an axe that must have weighed as much as he did. The boy's face was twisted in a desperate, yet fierce cry as he raced towards the dragon.

"Hiccup! What are you-"

He swung the axe down, prompting the men holding down the Night Fury to jerk away, and sliced one of the ropes in two. The dragon quickly recoiled from the collar being held up to it, and the boy scrambled up into the saddle.

"Hiccup, wait!" Stoick saw what was about to happen. "Wait, don't!"

It was too late. There was a _whoosh _as the wings opened and beat down, already propelling the two high into the air.

"No no no, don't shoot!" He saw some men aiming their crossbows. "You'll hit Hiccup!"

Stoick was powerless to watch as his son flew away.

* * *

><p>Hiccup's rage quickly cooled, despite his attempt to keep it stoked, and he found himself staring back at Berk as it slowly shrank behind him.<p>

A muffled groan from Toothless caught his attention back.

"Sorry bud, hold on." With great caution, he managed to slip the leather buckle from the dragon's head. He was about to let it fall, but realized it could be useful later.

_After all, I'm not going to be back in Berk any time soon._

The truth slowly gripped him, and his breath came heavier and heavier. After this little stunt, any hope of a normal life on the isle was gone, and for that matter any kind of life. Surely they would all despise him, revile him. The boy who actually _freed_ a dragon, the maniac who thought there could be peace, the kid with the Night Fury...he would never be Hiccup again.

_Oh, too bad. Because being Hiccup was just so much fun, wasn't it?_

And with that came a flood of unpleasant memories of humiliation, fifteen years worth of it. He tried his best to blot it out - and only ended up thinking about it more. He growled and shook his head.

Toothless looked back, concerned about his human. He could tell something was troubling the boy...

Hiccup finally sighed. "Don't worry, I'm fine." He patted the top of the dragon's head. "I'll be fine, let's just...let's do some flying practice, that always gets us into higher spirits. Ready?" He shifted the tailfin, and the two dived towards the ocean. The wind whistled in Hiccup's ears as they plummeted, then leveled out. They skimmed just above the water's surface, the rolling sea forming melting hills and drifting valleys below them. Toothless followed the contours of the ocean, rising or falling with the waves, and Hiccup's stomach followed.

For a short glorious time, they were one. United. Not two separate creatures, but a single being that cooperated with itself flawlessly. The rushing speed, the climbing and dipping of the flight, the occasional playful plunge into the water - it was unreal, and into this unreality Hiccup escaped.

The sun sank lower in the sky the more they flew, and soon it was dusk, the sky turning a shade of brilliant orange.

"We better start thinking about dinner," Hiccup said, half to himself. "Come on, let's go fishing."

A short while later, the two were sitting atop a large stone stack, with a small fire blazing courtesy of Toothless. A large pile of fish sat nearby, also courtesy of Toothless, who of course spared a couple for Hiccup, thankfully without swallowing and regurgitating them first. The boy only accepted a single one, however. He didn't feel very hungry.

As Hiccup roasted his fish over the fire, his mind again couldn't help but drift back to those times in Berk. He mulled over now-distant memories, where he'd been cooking his dinner around an open pit, with everyone crowded around him, and also talking around him. Never a voice of concern or curiosity for the world of Hiccup. No, it was always "Who killed the biggest dragon?" or "What's the best axe to throw to kill a dragon?" or "Which body parts did you lose to a dragon as you tried to kill it?" It seemed that that was all Berk knew how to do, kill dragons. No wonder his plan had failed so spectacularly! Couldn't ask for deafer ears for-

"Ow!"

In his introspection, Hiccup hadn't noticed his fish dipping closer and closer towards the flame, where it had finally caught fire and burned to his fingertips. Now the animal lay in the fire, its silvery scales blackening as it burned. Toothless saw what had happened, took another of his own fish in his teeth, and tossed it over.

"Thanks bud." He skewered the second fish, this time keeping a closer eye on it. The dragon went back to his own dinner. "I guess I just have so much going through my mind right now. I was..." He shook his head. "I don't know what I was trying to do, trying to change seven generations of dragon slaying. I mean, no one even liked me! I don't know why I thought they'd listen to me. I guess it was just a stupid, crazy idea." He suddenly chuckled. "Yeah, get ready to be dragged into a lot of those with me."

Toothless paused long enough from eating to cast a soft look at Hiccup, purring contentedly. Night had fallen, but the warm flicker of the fire illuminated the dragon more than well enough. Hiccup smiled back.

"I guess the only thing I'll really miss is Astrid. I mean, we got to her! She wasn't afraid of you in the end, and she actually began to treat me like...well, like I existed. If only we could somehow convince everyone like we did with her...but I guess we can't drop all villagers into treetops, can we? I just...she would have been perfect." He stared wistfully into the fire, and mostly kept his silence after that.

Both finally finished their meals, and in the dying light of the fading embers, Hiccup laid down on the grassy, yet hard surface of the stack. Toothless came over and wrapped his tail around the boy to keep him warm.

"Thanks." Silence for a moment. "You know, if I had to choose between my old life and you-" _If I had to? As if I haven't already? _"-I'm glad I chose you."

With that, Hiccup closed his eyes and tried to rest. But all night, his mind kept returning to Berk. He was coming back, and voices jeered from every corner.

_Where did Hiccup go wrong?_

_He showed up!_

_He didn't get eaten!_

__Well, I can show my face in public again!__

___They'll see you as sick or insane and go after the more Viking-like teens instead.___

_____Oh great, who let him in?_____

_You're not a Viking._

_You're not my son._


	2. Facing the Red Death

Hiccup's eyes flew open. His breath came quickly, and his face slowly brightened into a smile. Sitting up, he glanced around at Toothless, who was still sleeping.

"That's it..." he whispered to himself. "That's how I'll get them to understand!"

Several minutes later, Toothless finally woke to find Hiccup scrawling on a bare patch of rock, using the charcoal from the fire.

"Hey, you're up!" Hiccup stood and clenched his fists close with excitement. "Listen, I know what we can do to finally convince the village, for real this time."

At this, the dragon grumbled with suspicion. He narrowed his eyes and backed away a step.

"No no no, we're not going back, not yet. But I realized something this morning: we tried to approach this the wrong way. Instead of convincing Berk that the dragons aren't evil first, we should kill the queen who's making the dragons steal food in the first place!"

Toothless realized what Hiccup meant when he said "the queen", and he gave a shiver and a grumble.

"It's alright, it's alright, I've been thinking for a while, and I'm pretty sure I have a good plan. Here, I'll show you:"

* * *

><p>Hours later, they flew to the lip of the volcano's crater. Leaning over, Hiccup could see the red glow of magma far below. The heat brushed into his face, and he quickly recoiled. Up above, the clouds had gathered and darkened, as if the sky itself anticipated the coming conflict.<p>

"Okay bud, just like we planned, ready?"

He adjusted himself on the saddle, making sure he was secure. If he ever needed to trust his own handiwork, it would be over the next few minutes. He took a deep breath.

"Go!"

Toothless fired a blast deep into the abyss, and they heard it explode far, far down.

Silence.

"Okay, back up, back up..."

A terrible howl sounded from the heart of the mountain, ripping the silence apart. The rocks shivered, and Hiccup felt even his core quake at the roar. This was followed by shrieks and squawks, then hundreds of wings flapping.

"Here they come!"

The two watched as the mountain erupted with dozens of dragons. Monstrous Nightmares, Nadders, Gronckles, Zipplebacks - they all fled, trying to escape the oncoming battle. The rocks lurched, and another roar rent the air.

"Let's go, now!"

Toothless took off, soaring into the air. Down below, the side of the volcano gave way, rocks and trees and dust falling in a landslide. The top of a massive scaly head appeared, shaking off the boulders.

"There it is! Let's go, take us in close!"

Toothless hovered for a moment in the air, angled himself, then dived towards the Red Death. The massive dragon looked up, only to get a plasma blast right on the left side of its face. The duo whizzed over its head, and rocketed back into the sky.

"Well, we got its attention." Hiccup scanned the queen's body for any sign of a weak point. The head was pretty well armored, as well was the tail...and everything in between. "Let's try the eyes. Take us down, bud!"

The Night Fury gave another dive, becoming more and more emboldened the longer it defied the queen's authority. Hiccup could feel the confidence radiating from the reptile as the two plunged again. For the second time in as many days, his stomach fell far behind him. The wind tore at his hair and screamed in his ears as they flew.

Toothless gave another blast, this time on the right side of the dragon's face. The queen staggered from the impact, howling in rage and pain. Staring after the two, it spread its wings to take off. Toothless banked in a wide curve, turning Hiccup just enough so he could see the Red Death taking off, the wide wings lifting it into the air.

"Here she comes! Try the eyes again."

Another plasma blast, and again the queen's head jerked back as the Night Fury and his rider zoomed overhead. Hiccup could tell, however, that they were not inflicting any serious damage; on the contrary, the Red Death only seemed more infuriated than ever, and now it chased after them. It opened its mouth to give another roar, and Hiccup stared at the teeth, longer than he was tall - then suddenly, his mind snapped back a few days, to the tug-of-war between Toothless and the Terrible Terror, and how his dragon was able to fend off the annoying creature with a single well-aimed shot.

"The mouth!" He screamed to be heard over the rushing wind, which ripped his voice from his mouth almost before he could speak. "Aim for its mouth!" Toothless darted ahead, then twisted his body around before launching himself and Hiccup at the leviathan dragon. Hiccup could only hear the wind howling, the scream as the Night Fury closed in, and the furious bellow of the queen.

The plasma launched, and exploded against the top of the Red Death's maw. The queen faltered in her wingbeats, and fell against the ground with a mighty crash. She struggled back to her feet, and watching the Night Fury fly overhead, she let loose a torrent of searing fire, high into the air.

"Woah, watch it!" The two flew up high, well out of the reach of the flames. "Last thing we want is your tailfin catching."

Hiccup watched as again, the queen lifted into the air. He knew that Toothless only had one of his six shots left - they had to make it count.

"Hold on, bud!" Toothless pulled up short, beating his wings to hover in the air. "Let's meet her eye to eye..."

They turned and watched as the Red Death came towards them, eyes sparking with rage. It opened its mouth, ready to roast them for daring to challenge her. Her mouth filled with gas, ready to ignite-

"Now!"

Toothless fired his last shot, sparking the vapor as it still filled the queen's throat, and igniting the glands that it poured from. Again, the giant roared - not from anger, this time, but from pain. Fire began to consume it from the inside out, and for the last time the Red Death fell back upon the earth. It rolled over once, then was still.

Hiccup watched from his dragon's back as the queen went through its death throes. "Hoh..." He gasped as it finally stopped moving. "Oh, we did it! We did it, bud!"

Hiccup laughed with the nervous chuckle of someone who brushed with death, and emerged unscathed.

"Oh, this fixes everything! We go back, tell them we brought down the queen and that you helped me, and we're in the clear!"

He shifted the tailfin, and the two descended to the ground, where Hiccup hopped off the saddle and looked up at the massive body, lying on its side with a single great wing still pointing into the air. No living thing made a sound for a long time - only the wind, whistling a warning of a coming storm, and the waves, relentlessly striking the pebbly beach, offered a soundtrack for the grim scene. Eventually, Toothless gave a suspicious growl to the dead queen.

"Don't worry, she's not going to bother anyone anymore. No dragons, and definitely no humans." Even with that said, though, Hiccup took great caution in approaching it. Suddenly, he felt himself yanked backwards by his shirt collar. Gaining his footing again, Hiccup turned to find Toothless looking at him with great fear in his eyes. The Night Fury hissed at the body, and tried to wrap his tail around the boy, keeping him from going any closer.

"We gotta have something to prove what we did."

Hiccup took the tail and moved it over his head, and he kept walking. Soon he placed his hand on the queen's foot, and felt along one of her toes for-

"Here we go!" He exclaimed in a whisper, without knowing why. One of the scales was loose, all he had to do was pry it off and carry it home as a trophy, and all would be well. Hiccup took it in his hand, and yanked. It peeled up a bit more, but still stuck fast. "Come on..." He tightened his grip, and yanked again. A little more, but still stuck. This time, he gripped with both hands and pulled, keeping up the effort until, finally, it snapped. He fell backwards, clutching the scale in his hand.

"Got it!" He turned around and called to Toothless, waving his prize in his hand. He began to stand up. "Come on, let's get out of-"

There was a loud bluster, as the wind suddenly gusted. Hiccup felt his hair fly over his head as the sudden crackle of gravel being disturbed caught his ear. Turning around, he glanced up as the queen's wing caught the air - and began to tilt the entire body over, right atop him.

"Oh no..." He began to run, Toothless crying out in despair as his human tried to flee the oncoming titanic weight which threatened to crush him. "No no no no NO NO NO NO NO-"

There was a deafening cacophony. A pain unlike any he had felt.

Then blissful nothingness.


	3. Unexpected Consequences

"Unnnhhhhh..."

Hiccup's senses only returned to him one by one. First, touch: he lay flat on his back, against some hard rugged surface, with the cold biting at his hands. And his leg...his left leg was sore.

Now, as if emerging from water, he heard sounds muffled and distorted, slowly growing clearer. Groans and squawks and growls and snorts, in every direction.

Now he opened his eyes, just a sliver at first. He saw for a moment his room on Berk, from the perspective of his bed, with the wooden beams criss-crossing the ceiling. Opening wider, his eyes dispelled the hallucination - he lay on the rocks, below a grey dreary sky, surrounded by-

"Ohhhhh boy." He leaned up on his elbows as he stared at the circle of dragons that had formed around him. Dozens of them, of every species, had gathered around to watch the strange human wake up.

"Toothless?" He called out. The Night Fury came around from behind him, gave a quick sniff, making sure his boy was alright. "There you are, didn't see you at first." Hiccup tried getting to his feet. "Aw bud, what hap-"

Hiccup's left foot suddenly seared with pain, and with a yell he stumbled forward as it gave out. Putting his hands out to stop his fall only served to skin his palms. He gave a few shuddering gasps and screwed his eyes shut. Toothless came around beside him, concerned that his human had hurt himself more. Already, though, the agony died away, and Hiccup opened his eyes again.

Now he saw the Red Death, which had rolled over onto its front. There was a dark crimson blotch on one of its claws where it had stabbed into...something. A trail, also crimson, led from it, as if the same something had been dragged away. His eyes followed the trail as it approached him, then went under him, and now he turned himself over to look at his leg.

"Oh gods..." Hiccup grimaced and turned away, not wanting to see what remained of his left foot. His guts suddenly flipped, and he heaved violently to the side. Nothing came out, thank goodness - he realized already the strength he'd need to survive this.

"Ohhhhkay." He shivered from his shock, but he tried to recollect, as best as he could, what to do. Amputated limbs were common in Berk, and it was fairly common knowledge on how to perform the procedure safely. He only had one small problem: he wasn't in Berk, and nowhere near the supplies he needed to complete the gruesome task ahead of him.

Toothless watched as his boy kept glancing around, looking for something it seemed. Curious, he bent his head down beside Hiccup's, trying to see if a better perspective would help him understand.

Hiccup broke from his mental panic, and gave a half-hearted laugh as he rubbed the top of the dragon's head. "Hey, you did good bud. You saved me." _Just not all of me_, he added to himself. Given this relief from his thoughts, however, he was free again to notice the dragons that surrounded him. They watched both the Night Fury and the boy with intense concentration, noting their every movement, like they were expecting something.

He made eye contact with a Monstrous Nightmare at the edge of the circle. The dragon tilted his head, and began to crawl closer. Toothless snarled a warning.

"No no, it's okay." Hiccup stretched out his hand. "It's okay..."

The Monstrous Nightmare gave the hand a sniff, gave one more look to the boy, then pressed his snout against Hiccup's palm. The sign of trust and respect.

Now other dragons began to crowd around. Hiccup glanced around, and extended his other hand. One by one, it seemed every dragon wished to convey its trust and loyalty in the boy. A dawning realization came over him as his fingers rested on snout after snout.

"We defeated their queen..." He glanced at Toothless. "That means we're their leader now!" One more step of logic. "And if you rely on me to fly, then that means, I'm..." His eyes grew wide as his new status washed over him, his hands still passing from dragon to dragon, follower to follower.

Gradually, all the dragons had their turn, and they now sat again in a wide circle, expecting some kind of command. Before Hiccup could think of anything to say, however, a sudden pang of hunger put its message forward very clearly.

"Hey Toothless, could you grab a fish for dinner? Heh, nothing like becoming a dragon king and losing your leg in the process to work up an appetite, huh?" He gave Toothless a caress on the top of his head, and the dragon walked to the water. The other dragons, realizing that the Night Fury could understand the boy's request, followed, leaving Hiccup alone to consider his leg.

Being in charge of the dragons surely was a nice perk, but it scarcely helped him in his current predicament. He doubted that either Nadders or Gronckles were skilled in medicine, and he didn't particularly relish the idea of a Monstrous Nightmare trying to amputate his leg. Dragon fire could perhaps be useful for cauterizing afterwards, but before he reached that point he'd need something to make a clean cut. The closest he had was his small dagger, which he knew was not wide or heavy enough to be satisfactory. And on top of that, he needed a prosthetic to actually utilize later. For both of those purposes, the removal and the replacement, he would need something metallic, which was out of the question at the moment. As for cutting off circulation...a quick scan over his inventory reminded him of the leather buckle that the Vikings had used to seal Toothless' jaw closed. He pulled it from his vest pocket, and sat it by his side. At least he had something, a start if nothing else.

Hiccup was so engrossed in his morbid plans that he didn't hear the terrific chaos ensuing at the water, and didn't notice anything odd at all until Toothless returned.

"Oh!" He broke from his trance as a nice silver fish was plopped into his lap. "Hey, thanks, looks great!" There was nothing to build a fire with, though, so Hiccup began to steel himself for a raw meal - and promptly had three more fish piled next to him. "What?"

Looking up in confusion, he saw that every dragon had taken his request as a personal responsibility, and now they returned with mouthfuls of fish.

"Well, at least I'm not going to go hungry while I'm here."

As his pile began to grow larger, however, he began to worry about potentially being buried beneath his mound of offerings.

"Wait, wait!" His tone got the dragons' attention. "Uhh..." How he wished they could understand plain Norse! "I'm full!" He held his hand under his chin to indicate his fullness, and paired all of his words with hand signals. "No more fish, no more fish. You have them, you eat too!"

Thankfully, they understood, and some immediately gulped down their catch. Hiccup could hardly believe that his communication was successful, and also that they were so eager to please him. All at once, a crazy idea entered his mind.

"Listen, close! Listen!" He gestured for everyone to gather around. "Bring." He motioned grabbing his chest with both hands. "Bring me, metal." He slowly reached into his vest pocket and pulled out his dagger. At this, every dragon instinctively flinched backwards and growled. "Yes, bad, bad metal! But I need some." He slowly set it beside him, where his pile of fish had been. "Bring me metal."

He hesitated, squeezed his eyes shut, then pointed in the direction of Berk.

"Bring me metal, please."

The dragons cried their assent, and all except Toothless flew off. The sun set low on the horizon, silhouetting them. Black wings against fiery red.

* * *

><p>Astrid gazed at the whole chicken leg on her wooden plate. She picked it up by the bone, twirled it around. She sighed, put it back down so the bone stuck out to the other side of the plate.<p>

"Hey Astrid!" Gobber came over and sat by her. "What's the matter? You're usually through your secon' leg by now."

"I dunno." She sighed as she set her leg twirling again, soon to be realigned on the plate once more. "There's just been a lot of crazy stuff happening lately." She looked away.

"Aye, I was s'prised as you were." He took a hearty drink from the jug attached to his prosthetic hand, and wiped the froth from his mustache. "I mean, the boy was always a bit odd, but tryin' to make peace with the dragons?! Now that's just outright loony! I mean-"

"He was not," Astrid's fist slammed on the table, "a loony." Her sullen melancholy had given way to the quiet but potent anger of offense. "He knew what he was talking about, but no one listened to him."

"But a Night Fury? I mean, no one even survives lookin' at one!"

"Well he did! And I-" Astrid caught herself. She hadn't told anyone that she had been on Toothless, and at the moment she preferred things to stay that way. "And I am sure he knew what he was doing."

"You know," Gobber took another drink before continuing, "you've been actin' funny since he left. I mean, a few days ago you were gearin' up to be the best dragon killer in Berk! And now, you've lost all of that."

Astrid said nothing, she just returned to twirling her chicken leg.

"I'll tell ya what I've lost, though: my apprentice! No one to help me at the shop! I just pray to Odin we don't get a dragon attack before I can replace-"

There was a crash outside, and the familiar cry: "Dragons!"

Everyone in main hall leapt to action, but Gobber took enough time to look up and say with a disgusted scowl, "Thanks a lot, Odin."

"Get the torches raised!" "Protect the flocks!" "Man the catapults!"

Astrid got swept up by the crowd as they rushed about, grabbing weapons. Out of habit, she ran back to her hut and grabbed her axe. Instead of immediately charging outside, however, she hesitated. _Dragons are not mindless animals_, she reminded herself. _If you don't attack them, then you'll be fine._

_Unless someone else gets them angry. Or if they're looking for something you have._

She settled on a defensive approach: she'd watch outside her own house, but only fight if any dragons tried to come near.

With the sounds of battle echoing outside, Astrid opened her door and held her axe at the ready.

All of the fighting was distant, so she relaxed a bit, and began to patrol around her house.

The Deadly Nadder pounced on her from behind.

"Augh!" She was pinned to the ground, luckily able to throw her axe in time to keep it from impaling her. "Oh no, no no, this is it!"

The dragon released her immediately.

Astrid scrambled to her hands and knees, going for her weapon. But the Nadder got it first. She watched as the dragon took the wooden handle in its beak, spread its wings, and immediately flew off.

"What..." Astrid stayed on the ground, watching with heavy breaths as the Nadder escaped with her weapon. "What does..."

Across the island, Vikings rushed into battle only to find their swords and axes and shields ripped from their hands. Gobber, unexpectedly, found his own shop the most besieged building on the isle that night.

Not a single sheep was missing the next morning.

* * *

><p>Hiccup counted it among his good fortunes that the dragons had managed to snag a hammer in their - he didn't want to call it a "raid". Scavenging, that's what they were doing.<p>

He had managed to drag himself over to a flat rock to use as a makeshift anvil. With the help of the Nadders' fire, a pair of swords warped and melded into a suitable prosthetic. Hiccup spent a couple of days making sure it was just the right length, at the same time figuring out exactly where to make his cut.

These couple of days were also necessary mental preparation. Hiccup knew he couldn't put off the deed much longer, though.

Once his leg was finished, he gave a shuddering sigh.

"Toothless," he offered a metal shield, "can you heat a small circle here, that I can use for...afterwards?"

The Night Fury could sense his human's apprehension, and had to be prompted twice to perform the task. While that was being prepared, Hiccup rolled up his pant leg to his knee, revealing where he had marked earlier, in charcoal, where he needed the incision to be. He took the buckle and wrapped it just below his knee, as tight as he could pull. Then tighter.

The dragons grew uneasy, not as perceptive as Toothless, but with a general sense of foreboding.

Hiccup's hands trembled now as he reached for an axe handle, the head removed so that it was just a plain old stick. He stuck it in between his teeth, his breath coming hard. A pause, was Toothless done? He was, and a bright yellow spot glowed in the otherwise dull shield.

"Uhkay," Hiccup's voice was muffled by the wood. With his tremulous hands, he picked up the axe head that paired with the handle. The handle without its weapon, the head without its wielder.

A deep breath.

He placed the edge of the axe along the mark.

A deep breath.

Stop a second, wipe the sweat from his brow.

A deep breath, shuddering.

He raised the head.

Toothless looked away.


	4. Welcome Home

Careful. Careful now.

All of the dragons gathered around to watch as Hiccup began to shift his weight onto the prosthetic for the first time. How strange it was, to no longer feel his heel against the ground. As he tried to establish his balance, he held on to the top of Toothless' head. The Night Fury watched patiently as his boy managed to assume some stability in his posture.

Hiccup took a deep breath. He let go of his grip, and took a step forward with his good leg - more of a limp, really. Toothless came around beside him, watching for any need of intervention. Hiccup now tried taking a step with his new leg, and stumbled forward with a cry. The Night Fury quickly caught him, however, and Hiccup clung to him.

"Hoh, thanks bud." He got back on his feet, and tried again. All of the dragons watched as he slowly became more and more sure of his step.

Soon Hiccup was practicing with longer distances, walking from one dragon to the other - from Toothless to the Monstrous Nightmare, from the Nightmare to the Deadly Nadder, from the Nadder to the Hideous Zippleback, and from there back to Toothless. If he ever stumbled or fell, they were there to catch him, to support him as he regained his composure.

They were there for him.

The limp gradually faded from his gait, and he began to take on more challenging endeavors. Toothless accompanied him on a spelunking trip into the mountain, all the way down to the magma pool that the Red Death had lived in. After returning from that, and a day of rest, he decided to take a walking tour around the coast of the island, spending three days on the journey. This time, he was joined by his - he didn't know what to call it. His horde? His flock? And soon, it wasn't the label of his group that perplexed him, so much as the fact that it was his group.

The realization had not yet ceased to astonish him. The dragons treated him as a hero, the one who freed them from the grasp of the Red Death, and they were more than happy to follow his lead. How different from his place on Berk.

Berk...

"You know Toothless," he knelt on the beach, staring across the water, "I can't stop thinking about home."

The dragon lay beside him, and warbled as he tilted his head in curiosity. He followed Hiccup's stare to the horizon, then looked back.

"I mean, you know what it was like, you saw. But, I dunno..." He picked up a small stone, and stood up. "I guess you spend fifteen years growing up someplace, you're bound to miss it when you leave." He leaned a bit, and flicked the stone onto the ocean. It skipped twice before sinking beneath the surface.

Hiccup kept staring, and felt the breeze blow in his face. He slowly shook his head. "I have to go back."

Toothless grumbled his annoyance, and let his eyelids drop to express his disapproval.

"Don't worry, we'll be more careful, and once we tell them that the queen's dead, they'll warm up to you. That was our plan, remember?" But even as he spoke, he knew he was also trying to convince himself.

In the meantime, now that he had remastered walking, he began to rediscover how to operate Toothless' fin. The first problem had been that his prosthetic didn't fit into the foot pedal. Short of a complete rework of the system, though, Hiccup found that simply switching his remaining boot from his right foot to his left solved the problem. In fact, when he did so with his pant leg rolled all the way down, he discovered that it was impossible to tell the foot was missing at all.

The primary issue resolved, Hiccup now only had to grow comfortable again with operating the fin. Luckily, his muscle memory had persisted, and soon the duo were swooping and diving and corkscrewing through the air with more ease than ever. Days kept ticking past, and soon Hiccup realized he could not put off his return any longer. Three weeks after he arrived at the nest, he called all the dragons to him.

"Well guys," he slowly walked around his circular space as everyone watched him, "it's been a fun time, it really has. I mean, taking down the Red Death has really brought us all closer together. But, I'm afraid I have to get going now." He walked over to Toothless and mounted him. "You guys have fun, enjoy your new queen-free nest, and I'll come visit. Let's go."

These last few words were for Toothless, and the two lifted into the air and flew off.

"Alright, when we get back, I am not getting off you until I can get them to understand. I'll explain from the air, try to get everyone to keep calm. They won't shoot you as long as I'm on-"

A sudden squawk to his left interrupted him. Hiccup looked and saw a Deadly Nadder flying beside him. Scratch that. Five Deadly Nadders. Scratch that. Five Deadly Nadders, six Gronckles, a flock of Terrible Terrors...

He looked behind to see that the entire flock had followed him from the island.

"Whoa, whoa!" Hiccup turned Toothless around to face everyone, and all the dragons hovered in place. "No no no no, you go back!" He pointed back at the island. "Go back, you're free! Free!" He motioned his hands in a wide circle above his head. "Go back, you're free! You don't need a king or queen."

Some of the dragons did glance back at the volcano. But none of them moved, and they just watched him even more closely.

"Oh boy." Realizing this was one command they were not going to follow, he turned Toothless around again, and they began pressing forward. "This might complicate a few things."

* * *

><p>"C'mon Astrid, is it done yet?"<p>

"Just give me a second!" She refocused her concentration very closely as the sword ground against wheel. Sparks flew angrily as the blade screamed against the stone, which raced round and round at a dizzying speed. Finally she stopped pedaling, and held the edge up to her eye. "I think I got it!"

Gobber took it from her, gave it his own inspection. He turned it to see from dozens of different perspectives. "Good angle...little nick on the edge here, don' want that..." He gave it a few swings. "Good balance, sturdy...congratulations Astrid! Welcome to the smithy!"

"Awesome! When can I start?"

"Right now!" He snatched a smock from a nearby hook and held it out to her. "We need to get ourselves re-armed before the Berserkers or Outcasts find out the state we're in. No weapons, didn't get new ore until today, and what with Stoick..."

"Yeah, right, right." She quickly threw on the garment, then rushed to the forge. Suddenly, she stopped, and put her hands on the brown sooty smock. "This was Hiccup's, wasn't it?"

"Aye, one size fits all."

She took a moment to remember, to wonder where he was...

"That reminds me..." Gobber interrupted her thoughts. "Although I don't suppose, now that you're my apprentice, I can convince you to return to dragon trainin'?"

"I can't. I-"

"I know, I know. You can't kill the Monstrous Nightmare."

"Gobber, it's more than that."

"No no no, I understand. It's just a pain now, that's all. Hiccup won the Nightmare first, and we know how that turned out. You were runner-up, but now you don't want the privilege either. And now look who I've got left! I'm not lettin' the twins in the cage with a Nightmare!"

As he continued on with his spiel, Astrid used the tongs to pull a long piece of glowing iron from the forge, and she set it on the anvil. She took the hammer, and its falls punctuated her words.

"You know Gobber, have you wondered if maybe we may not have to worry about the dragons anymore?"'

"Aye, here we go again."

"No, but think about it! We haven't had any raids for almost three weeks, not since they came after our weapons."

"I still don' know what that was all about. Have you seen anythin' like it?"

"No."

"Pfft, course you haven't. Been around longer than you have, and I've ne'er seen anythin' like it, so how could you have?"

"Fair point, fair point." She kept hammering at the iron, and it gradually shaped into a blade.

"I swear to Odin though, it will be just our luck, that right at our weakest, the dragons are gonna come back in full force and-"

"Dragons! Dragons, incoming!"

Gobber stared out the window for a second, then looked up at the ceiling again. "Again Odin? What did I ever do to you?"

"Wait, it's daylight though!" Astrid leaned out the window. "They never attack in the daytime!"

"Look out! Night Fury! It's heading for the Great Hall!"

"Night Fury?" Astrid gasped. How many of those could there be? And where there was Toothless, there had to be-

Without bothering to remove her smock, she ran out the door.

"What-Astrid! Astrid, where are you goin'?!" Gobber watched as his new apprentice left. "Aye, she's worse than Hiccup was!"

Astrid sprinted to the Great Hall, where a large crowd was gathering outside. The dragons flew in circles far overhead, and one by one began to land on buildings around the plaza. Towards the center of the area, a Night Fury descended. And riding the Night Fury was exactly who no one expected to see alive again.

"It's Hiccup!" "He's back!" "And he brought the dragons with him!" "Look at that!"

"Everyone!" Hiccup shouted down, and they all quieted. "Clear a spot for me to land, please!"

The sea of people parted, forming a large space for Toothless to set down. The dragon glanced around in suspicion, but Hiccup tried to calm him.

"Whoa, easy bud, easy. I won't let them hurt you again." He then looked up at everyone, and yelled. "Nobody come any closer! And hear me out this time, please!"

The only person who budged was Astrid, trying to elbow her way to the front. A cold feeling came from the crowd as Hiccup talked.

"Now, I know that we've fought dragons for seven generations, but I'm here to tell you that we don't need to do that anymore!" Hiccup looked around as he spoke, including behind him, making sure no one was sneaking up. "They only raided us because their queen commanded them to. I'm here to tell you that we killed that queen!"

Despite the fear of dragons looming overhead, this outrageous nonsense prompted a chuckle from the crowd.

"I'm serious! We killed her three weeks ago, and have you had any raids since then?"

At this, everyone grew silent again. Except Astrid, still fighting her way forward.

"Toothless," he patted the top of his head, "and I worked together. It sounds crazy, I know, but it's possible! Peace is possible. The dragons don't have to raid us anymore, we can coexist now."

The dawning realization he hoped to see on their faces did not appear, and he grew nervous.

"I know I ran off, and it was kind of a foolish thing, but look at what I did! The dragons can be our friends," he gestured around him. Please, I'm asking you to reaccept me, and realize that dragons are not the monsters you think they are."

No one was answering. Hiccup was afraid that he was faltering.

"Here, where's my dad? I'll talk to him about it, he'll-"

"Hiccup!"

The familiar voice caught his attention. Looking over, he saw Astrid burst from the mass of people.

"Astrid!" He dismounted as she ran forward. Toothless recognized her, and relaxed as she approached.

"I was so worried about you!" She whispered softly, affection showing in her eyes. Abruptly, she seemed to remember something, and with her face turning to anger punched him in the arm.

"Ow!"

"And that's for scaring me!"

This prompted a furious hiss around her, deafening. Looking up, she saw every dragon glare at her, and they began to climb down from the rooftops. She gasped in panic.

"Oh no, no no!" Hiccup placed himself in front of her, thus diffusing their anger. "She's, uh, that's just what she does. She's weird, I know." He chuckled, put his arm around her back, and gave a playful shake at the shoulder. "See? Buddies."

Astrid watched as they retreated back up, and now stared at Hiccup. "You control them?"

"Uh, yeah, kind of, I guess...it was an accident, really."

"How?"

"Well, uh, after Toothless and I killed their queen, they needed a new one, and apparently I am the successor they chose."

She stared, her eyes wide in surprise.

"Yeah, you should have seen it." Hiccup tried to break up the tension. "Toothless and I were outflying her, dodging her fire, it was really something. In fact, I even ended up losing..."

He caught himself. He was trying to get back into the village's favor; the last thing they needed was something else to tease him about. Glancing down, he realized that with his boot on and his pant leg down, his left foot could easily pass as authentic. He didn't want "One-leg" to be added to Snotlout's list of insults...

"Losing...?"

"My boot!" He pointed at his right foot, still bare. "Lost my boot, it's pretty terrible." He laughed nervously, hoping he would pull this off. "But anyways, can I see my dad?"

Astrid bit her lip, then looked down. "Stoick-"

"What are you doing?" The two turned and saw Spitelout emerging now from the crowd, with Snotlout not far behind. Toothless snarled and backed away at his approach.

"Spitelout!" Hiccup went up to him. "Look, it's difficult to explain, but could I just see my dad, and I can-"

"Your father's dead."

Hiccup's mind froze, and the world spun to a standstill. "W-what?" His breath caught.

"Three days after you flew off, he left the island. Two weeks went by, he didn't come back. Some of us went out to look for him, and we found his helmet, floating in the water."

"B-b-but maybe he just dropped it! You don't know-"

"The next day, we found his ship. Pierced with arrows along its side, blood stains on the deck. Outcasts, from the look of their arrowheads."

"No...no no, oh gods..."

Hiccup sunk to his knees, and Astrid saw him clasp his hands over his eyes, his entire body shivering from the devastating tragedy as he began to weep. It broke her own heart to see the boy in such grief. It was several minutes before he managed to choke out any more words.

"W...why…why did he...leave?"

"He didn't tell us directly." Spitelout folded his arms and glared down. "But apparently, when Gobber asked, Stoick said 'I'm so ashamed.'"

Hiccup's breath came quicker now, still heaving with sobs, and he looked up at the unforgiving face. Astrid came around and saw him, his features contorting with agony.

"And I think we all know what he was ashamed of. The boy who wouldn't kill a dragon. Imagine, being a chief, and having a son like you."

"Stop." Astrid tried to confront Spitelout as Hiccup began sobbing more. "Stop it, right now. You don't know what you're doing."

"I know perfectly well what I'm doing."

He picked up Hiccup by his shirt collar, prompting a hiss of outrage from Toothless and the other dragons. Astrid tried to block the Night Fury with her body, but he still pushed against her, eager to get at Spitelout.

"You killed our chief. You brought the dragons to our village. You're not one of us." He set Hiccup on the ground, but still gripped his shirt. "You may have run away the first time because you chose to. Now, we're telling you. Go back to your dragons!" Spitelout shoved him away, where he sprawled on the ground. "And stay with them!"

With the final word in the matter said, he turned to go back into the Great Hall.

"No."

The voice was small, but so absolutely solid that everyone in the crowd heard it. Spitelout turned around again.

"What did you say?"

"No..." Hiccup got to his feet before Astrid could help him. His eyes still watered, but his face had more outrage than sorrow. "No! I belong here, just as much as you do, more than you do!" He took a step forward. "I have done more for Berk than you ever have. While you ran around screaming and hacking at things with axes, I found a solution. I made peace with the dragons, and it wouldn't be hard for everyone here to do the same thing, if you weren't all so thick about it!"

No one had ever heard such harsh words come from the scrawny boy before. Astrid tried to take his arm. "What are you doing?"

He put his hand on hers, gave a gentle squeeze, then removed it. He advanced more on Spitelout, almost comedic because he barely came up to the man's chest. "And on top of that, the position of chief is my birthright. You have no right to take it!"

"Except you ran off!"

"To fix the dragon problem! Aren't you even listening to me?! All I wanted was a 'thank you'!"

"You're the reason we need to replace Stoick in the first place!" Spitelout grew infuriated. "And if you won't listen to words, perhaps you'll listen to force!"

He made to grab Hiccup, who yelped and quickly stumbled back again. There was a loud roar as Toothless shoved Astrid out of the way, and he whipped his tail around to hit Spitelout square in the gut. The blow sent him flying backwards, landing with his back against the ground. An instant later, the Night Fury was atop him. The dragons screamed, and the people gasped.

"Dad!" Snotlout tried to break out of the crowd, but was held back by wise onlookers.

"Toothless!" Hiccup called.

The dragon's chest was heaving, not willing to release his prey, but exercising enough restraint to not complete his kill. He glared at the man beneath his claws, and hissed.

Astrid watched in fascination as Hiccup approached Spitelout. His breathing still came in shuddering sobs, but every inch of his body now exuded rage.

"Wait, wait!" Spitelout shuffled beneath the Night Fury's grasp, reached into his vest pocket, and pulled out a crumpled letter. "It's from your father, he said to give it to you if you returned before he did."

Hiccup took the letter with brisk fingers. "Well thanks for finally mentioning it. Going to send me off without reading it?" He glanced at it once, then stuffed it into his own pocket. "Probably more 'I'm so ashamed of my son' nonsense, though."

"Look, about what I said earlier..."

"What about it!?"

Spitelout's eyes were wide with horror; Hiccup had never been this incensed before. He glanced from the boy to the dragon, then back again, and over again - but words failed him. "For the love of Thor, Hiccup, just let me go."

Hiccup froze as he suddenly realized the true power he had. For once, someone had actually pled to him, and not the "Just go away!" kind of plea either. On the one hand, his stomach squirmed in disgust. On the other, he felt extremely satisfied that he was finally being taken seriously.

He motioned for Toothless to back off. "So, just to make sure we all understand," he swept his arms out to indicate dragons and people alike, "you tell me that I'm the reason my father's dead, you mock me, you force me to leave even after I risked my life to save this village, and then you try to attack me, and you expect me to do nothing about it!?"

With each accusation, the dragons could sense his rousing anger, and they clearly saw who it was directed at. Bit by bit, they began to climb and fly down from the roofs, taking their place by Hiccup's side and bringing more and more alarm to the Berkians.

Spitelout saw the hopelessness in his situation, but still tried one last time. "Hiccup...please..."

The boy shivered, and he took a shuddering breath. Then he looked at the dragons.

"You saw him," he pointed to Spitelout, "attack me?" He clawed at his face, and pointed at himself. The dragons cried out in anger, and drew closer.

"Hiccup!"

He gave Spitelout one last look in the eyes.

"Hiccup, don't do this!"

He closed his eyes, teardrops falling, and with a deep breath turned away.

"Hic-"

Everyone gasped in horror as the dragons closed in on the short-lived chief. Astrid covered her mouth in shock, stepping away from the scene as it unfolded. Hiccup did not watch, and tried not to hear. The ruckus shortly died away, leaving a terrible silence in its wake.

"Does anyone else have a problem with me?!"

No one dared to speak up.

"Anyone at all! I'm all ears for critiques at the moment!"

Even Snotlout, usually his most vocal critic, stayed silent - for once in his life, he was being listened to. One more disgusted look around, his eyes lingering with sadness on where Spitelout had been, then he climbed on Toothless.

"Astrid!"

She had been staring at Spitelout, and now jerked her head around. "What! Yes!" At the moment, she didn't know what to think of him.

"Come on." His voice suddenly became gentle again, and he held out his hand to her. After a moment's hesitation, she grabbed it, and he pulled her onto the dragon.

"Where are we going?"

Hiccup bent low to prepare for takeoff, and his voice regained its edge. "I want to have a little talk with the Outcasts..."


	5. Last Voyage of the Hirschbiegel

**FIVE YEARS LATER**

* * *

><p><em>Day 21<br>_

_We continue our way west, with the winds and currents at our backs. The terrific storm I feared would strike our ship yesterday veered away, and we were spared its torment. _Our supply in the hold remains at good levels; I anticipate that the__ Hirschbiegel _shall_ soon return for home, and we shall be fed well on the way back, with no problems excepting the suspicion that we could have gone further. We currently approach a small isle, which I will chart by the day's end.  
><em>_

Hans Hermann lifted his quill from the diary and read the words he had written. Pondering how to continue, he stared out the window from his tiny cabin, watching the horizon tilt back and forth. Suddenly his mind seized upon the appropriate wording. The quill met the paper again.

_Yesterday, we circled around yet another island. This almost certainly confirms my belief that we have discovered an archipelago, one sparsely populated, if at all. However, I suspect that someone must be living here, for as we traveled around this particular island yesterday, we spotted clearly the ruins of a village. We set upon the shore to see it more closely, and found the footprints of _huts and the remains of worn paths between them._ What little wood remained stood splintered against charred stones, with cinders still forming heaps between the rocks. I cannot know who or what performed such a catastrophic thing. I recall the tales we hear of terrible berserkers and Vikings, but I doubt such totality to be possible by human hands. To see the absoluteness of the destruction, the structures burned away to the bones, almost makes one heed the distant legends of the dragons._

Hans again looked out the porthole, his gaze wandering. With a sigh, he closed the book and laid the quill aside, then turned to stare at the wall opposite his desk.

Several sheets of parchment covered the wall like a patchwork quilt, and scrawled across it in painstaking detail was a map. Near the very right edge sat home: the prosperous kingdom of Kranzgrad. From there a light brown dotted line trailed its way left, and coastlines had gradually taken shape in black. Every inch had been envisioned, measured, remeasured, and plotted by Hans' patient hands.

He rose now and approached the map, gravitating to the center where a small silver pin took its place at the head of the brown line. Pulling a compass from his pocket, he turned to align himself with north, took note of the ship's direction. Then he produced a protractor from another pocket.

"Another day..." He removed the pin and, employing a divider caliper with upmost precision, moved it exactly one and three-sixteenths of an inch to the left, at an angle ten degrees up. "Another twenty leagues." He went to get his quill, to extend the dotted line.

As he finished his task, a sudden yell from the deck grabbed his attention. Putting down the ink and feather, Hans rushed from his room. Stepping into the open air, he found almost the entire crew shouting and pointing. "What's going on?"

"Shoot it! Shoot it!"

Several men fired their crossbows into the air. Hans followed the bolts and-

"Oh my God!"

Circling around the ship were two massive dragons, one red and one green. Hans didn't take his eyes from them as he tried to stumble backwards into his room, yet succeeding only in running into his door. His feet gave out from beneath him.

"You missed them!" The captain now appeared on deck, having retrieved his own weapon. His black uniform was trimmed in red. "Shoot again!"

Another volley from the crew, and this time the red dragon was hit in the leg. It faltered in its flight and roared in pain. More bolts launched themselves into the sky, but before they could reach their marks, the two beasts flew off. Everyone stared as they shrank into the distance.

"Oh my God..." Hans slowly got back to his feet. "Oh my God..."

The entire crew of twenty-seven men was visibly shaken, and no one moved for a long time even after the reptiles had disappeared.

The captain leaned over the railing, staring across the water. He muttered, "What devilry surrounds this place?"

"We must turn back!" One of the men yelled to the captain and the crew, trying to convince both. "We must turn back at once! Who knows what else may await us among these isles? What other delusions shall escape our minds and usurp reality?"

"No!" Hans stepped forward with his rebuttal. "We must press on, at least until we survey this last island!" He pointed off the bow of the ship, where the distant heaps of land laid low against the watery horizon. "We do not need to land there, but to know it is here without properly documenting it will be a disservice to our mission."

"Did you not see that we were just attacked?! If we go any further, they may return! And what if there are more dragons out there?"

Hans fell quiet. As much as he wished to investigate, he knew that the man had a good point. He turned to the captain. "Well, the decision lies with you. I just pray that you are also willing to press forward..."

A shake of the head answered him. "We aren't prepared to face off against dragons. We shall return to port, and sail out another time with more men and arms for protection. We are turning around!"

This last statement was announced over the whole ship, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief before rushing off to man the rigging.

"Mr. Hermann," the captain lowered his voice and took the cartographer's arm, "I'm sorry, I know how long you pressed for this expedition, and now for it to end like this..."

"Don't worry." Hans put on a smile. "No hard feelings, I understand. It's probably for the best, and in any case we were due to return in a few days. I just wanted to finish up the last island." He sighed. "I guess my job's done then, I'm just going to return to my cabin."

"Very well." The captain clapped him on the shoulder. "And don't feel too depressed, look at how much you did manage to chart out."

Hans chuckled, and made his way back to his space. Staring now at the map, his chest swelled with pride. It was a rather impressive feat. Surely he would have a chance to expand it more, maybe in a year's time he could set on another expedition.

Still, that would be a whole year to wait.

With a groan, he lay on his cot and shut his eyes, letting the ocean rock him to sleep.

It was ghastly screaming which woke him again.

Hans sat up, and slowly lifted his eyes to the ceiling. A chorus of inhuman sounds came from the sky. For the second time that day, he fled to the deck, only this time with his crossbow readied.

As he burst into the sunlight, he saw shadows dancing across the wood of the_Hirschbiegel_. All of the men were frozen, gaping at the sky. Hans followed their gaze. The crossbow fell from his hands.

Dozens of dragons circled above them. They screeched, they squawked, they hissed at the men on the ship. A cyclone of colors, bearing down on the small wooden tub that bobbed its way through the sea.

A smaller black dragon broke away, followed by several larger ones. They sped away from the _Hirschbiegel_, then swooped up and twisted around, now bearing down from the starboard side. For a brief moment, Hans thought he spotted on the black dragon...

"A rider?"

His observation was cut short when the side of the ship exploded.

Hans fell to his feet, rolling across the deck as it lurched. Looking up, he saw the larger dragons engulf themselves in flames and grapple with the rigging of the sails. They tangled themselves in the canvas and ropes and burned right through. Hans yelped in panic and got himself back up, even as the deck turned treacherous beneath his feet.

He sprinted and leaped over the flaming sails, which collapsed as the booms and masts splintered and snapped. Crossbows bolts whizzed by. Now the deck shivered again. More dragons had landed on the deck, screeching like terrible birds. Hans reached his cabin door at last, and before throwing it closed saw one of the reptiles whip its tail at him. As he sealed off his cabin, large spikes impaled themselves through the wood. He exclaimed in shock as they stood there, sticking at least a foot into his room. Hans tried the door to make sure it was locked, then glanced frantically around his small space.

A massive blast sounded again, and the _Hirschbiegel _lurched. The splintering which sounded for a long time afterwards called the integrity of the ship into question. Hans was thrown against the far wall, where he slumped down, his mind succumbing to panic. Staying on the ship was not an option - soon there would be no ship. He needed a way to escape without being noticed by the dragons. At the moment, no such alternative presented itself.

Outside the window, the black dragon banked around again, and Hans saw for sure this time a human upon its back. The rider was clad in reddish-brown and black armor, leather it seemed, and wore a matching mask which covered the face. The rider seemed to gesticulate to the dragons above before zooming out of sight. All at once, the ceiling shuddered with the weight of another impact. Hans looked up to see some kind of greenish smoke oozing through the boards overhead.

"Oh no, no no no..."

There was a sparking, and the ceiling burst into flame. Hans hit the floor again as the heat blared against his face, and he tried to shield himself with his arms. He watched the top of the map catch, and the fire slowly consumed its way downward. Hans took a breath and felt the burning air scorch his lungs. His cabin had been converted into a death chamber. His map, his work, his passion burned to ashes before his eyes, and the ceiling began to collapse. Another explosion rocked the ship, more splintering.

Outside the porthole, the dragons plunged into the water and carried away his crew, still writhing and kicking. Those already dead remained in the water...

With the smoke stinging his eyes, Hans got back to his feet, still crouching. He stumbled to his desk and grabbed his diary, shoving it into his vest pocket. Then he grabbed the door, and recoiled with a yell. The handle singed his palm; fire probably raged right on the other side.

He squeezed his eyes shut, gathered his breath, steeled himself. Adrenaline surged through his body as he finally opened his eyes and threw the door open. He ignored the searing pain on his hand. He ignored the licking flames that he dashed through. He ignored that the masts were gone, broken off entirely. He only ran.

Run onto the deck. The dragons see. They're coming. Veer to the side. Scramble over the edge. Jump.

Hans remembered to keep his legs together as he plunged into the ocean.

The cold water knocked the air out of him, and he struggled to get back to the surface before his lungs emptied completely. His eyes were shut tight, all was black. Where was up? Was he going up? Hans beat his arms, trying to find his way. His chest grew tight. Almost empty, horrible clenching. Water promised to rush in to fill the void, if he would just open his mouth...

His fingers touched air.

With another stroke, his head broke the surface. His lungs thanked him, and he panted as he tried to keep himself afloat. Ignoring his instinct to flail around, Hans ordered himself to lean his head back, and let himself drift on the surface of the water. Now he lay on his back, scarcely moving, hoping to attract no attention.

The _Hirschbiegel _burned. Dragons of all kinds scoured the ship as it slowly fell to pieces. Sailors were dragged from their cots or plucked from the ocean and flown off. Hans' heart fluttered whenever he saw them fly nearby, fearing that their talons would wrap around him next, but it seemed his illusion was convincing. All the while, the rider circled around, watching the whole scene unfold.

The water muffled Hans' ears, but he watched as the rider pulled his dragon up short. As he hovered, he began waving his arms, probably shouting to the dragons. All of the reptiles turned to watch, and began to vacate the ship. Then the black dragon banked around, and bore down on the _Hirschbiegel_ one more time. There was a high-pitched screech, one that Hans could hear through the water. Then the ship exploded in brilliant purple light, finally tearing into two, and crashed into the sea. Again, Hans could hear it through the water.

He stared straight up as the dragons went overhead. He recognized the men being carried away, the faces he could see full of terror.

And now they were gone.

For a long while after, Hans did not dare move. But finally, he gathered enough courage to tilt his head to either side, then back and forth. The dragons had vanished. He turned himself upright again to tread the water, and found himself floating among the wreckage of the ship. Grabbing a wooden board floating nearby, still warm and slightly burned, he began to kick his way further west, to the island.


	6. The Rider

The captain of the _Hirschbiegel_ groaned. His last memory consisted of the burning mast falling, and a terrific blow to the head. Now he opened his eyes, and found himself hundreds of feet in the air.

With a yell, he clasped at his one lifeline: the large black talons which gripped him, keeping him from plummeting to the water below.

"Captain!" The call came from his left and behind him. Twisting his head around, he saw one of his men, gripped under both armpits by another dragon. "Captain, what do we do?"

He looked around. Every direction he turned, crew members sat helpless in the clutches of the reptiles as they soared through the air. At the very front was the black dragon, and low over its back hunched...a rider? The captain shook his head, bewilderment slowly overtaking his senses.

"We..." He finally answered back. "We should do nothing foolish."

The rider suddenly dived, and the other dragons followed suit. The captain felt his gut leap as they swooped down through the air, then leveled out again. Now they approached an island, with a tall peak and several forested cliffs towering over the ocean. At their base sat a village, glimmering in decadence. The huts were large and trimmed in gold, and colored ribbons shone across the water. Large statues were arranged among the buildings, their details difficult to pick out from the height; he could only tell that all of them were either of men or dragons.

The dragons flew past the village and to the wilderness on the other side of the peak. The captain spotted a large cavern opening into the ground. The rider dived almost straight down towards the hole, and everyone followed suit.

With a twist that made the world spin, the dragon holding him plummeted down from the sky into the cave. The captain hollered in fright as the chasm swallowed them up, casting his vision into shadow. They jerked from side to side, then the dragons leveled out and effortlessly sped down the twisting tunnel, their quarry in tow. The walls echoed with yells, screeches, and the flapping of wings.

Suddenly the talons released. The captain skidded on the ground, rolling over several times, before landing with a gasp on his back.

He moaned. He could feel his arms and legs had skinned themselves on the stone, even through his uniform. The rough landing left him lying on the ground for what seemed a long while, even as he heard his crew yelling and groaning around him. This, it seemed, was their final destination.

All was pitch black; the light had disappeared far back in the cave. One by one, though, the dragons opened their mouths to provide a fiery glow. This provided enough light for the men to see each other, and also to see that they were surrounded.

"Captain!" One of the men scrambled to his feet and helped him up. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, yes I'm fine." He made to help the others, but the dragons began to creep in on them. Everyone backed into a huddle, the captain yanking the last man up by the arm and throwing him into the mass.

They came closer now, and all twelve of the men squeezed together. The reptiles drew ever nearer, the flames in their mouths burning hot and bright, soft hissing...

"Stop!"

The voice rang sharp and clear, and every dragon obeyed it. They backed off, letting the crew relax to a degree. Glancing around, the captain saw who gave the command: the rider of the black dragon, now dismounting and strolling towards them. His mask covered his face, but through the eye holes a penetrating glare escaped. The flickering light of the dragons' fire gave a slight glow to his leather armor, and was reflected in the metal spikes on the shoulders.

The captain wet his lips before speaking. "Please, we have no weapons with us. We are meant only as scouts and envoys of peace. I am-"

The rider reached to his hips and grabbed what seemed an empty hilt. Flicking his wrist, he suddenly produced a fiery blade, stunning the captain into silence.

"If I wanted your name, I would have asked you for it."

The rider pointed the blade at the captain's neck, then at the other crew members.

"Now, which one of you shot the dragon?"

There was no reply, only uneasy stares.

"Of course, more work for us to do." He suddenly called behind him, stowing his weapon. "Skyscorch! Come, Skyscorch!"

A large red dragon - the same from earlier, the captain recognized - pushed its way to the rider. The crew stared in disbelief as the snarling reptile suddenly turned docile as the rider placed his hand on its snout. The vicious facade melted away into the love a puppy would show.

"Aw, don't worry." The rider's voice changed too, friendly and sweet, but without condescension shown towards a pet. "Don't worry, they won't hurt you again. They won't hurt you again." He looked the dragon right in the eyes, and it stared back with affection. "Now, I need you to show me..." He pointed to his eyes and then his chest. "Which one of them hurt you?" He gestured to the crew, and then the dragon's hind left leg.

The dragon crept forward, peering at each man with narrowed lids. Suddenly it growled, its gaze locked right on one of the crew members. The others tried to shuffle away, leaving the poor man alone. The dragon kept glowering as the rider stepped forward.

"So you're the one who shot poor Skyscorch!" He sighed as he began to walk circles around the man. His height made him even more formidable, the effect clearly working on the lone sailor. "You should really be ashamed of yourself, attacking a poor dragon like that."

"No, no!" He was visibly beginning to break down. "It attacked us first!"

"Who, him? Skyscorch?" The rider paused and gave a playful pat on the dragon's snout. "He's harmless! Aren't you big guy?" A sudden pause. "That is, as long as people pay him the proper respect."

"No, no, please, it came flying towards us, and-"

"And?"

"And-and, it was circling around us, and...I just panicked, okay? I've never seen one of these things before!"

This seemed to surprise the rider. "Really? Never seen a Monstrous Nightmare?"

"No! Never! And it was just up there, and I was scared-"

"Well how do you think he felt? Skyscorch, come here. Turn around, please." The dragon did so, revealing its hind left leg more clearly. It was wrapped in bandages, with a large stain in the middle. "Because of your 'panic', look what happened. I'm just thankful you didn't hit a large artery..."

"Please, please, I'm sorry! Look, I wasn't even the only who shot! Everyone did, all of my crew did!"

The rider snorted, and almost doubled over. "Oh, oh! Captain, gotta love the loyalty of men! They'll just hand you over the moment they think it'll get them out of something!"

The man only stared in horror as the rider laughed, as if this life-or-death situation was only a joke. Finally, he sighed, recovering from his humor.

"Oh, man, that's too funny. Now that, right there, is why I prefer the company of dragons. The most loyal friends I've ever had, couldn't ask for any better." He gave a last chuckle before his voice grew cold again. "That's why I get very upset when someone tries to hurt them."

"No, God no, please..." He sank to his knees, quivering. "Please, I beg you for mercy. I will never, ever do it again, I swear it!"

"Oh, I'm quite certain of that." The rider walked once more around him.

"Please!"

"Well, I suppose, since it was fairly minor, I could overlook it-"

"Oh, thank you, thank-"

"-but that's not really my decision to make." The rider turned to face the man, and the captain could have sworn that he was smirking behind the mask. "See, Skyscorch is the one you injured, so he's who you have to answer to."

He extended his open palm towards the man, glanced at Skyscorch, and gave a nod.

The dragon leapt forward, grabbed its quarry, and flew off down the tunnel, the screaming sending echoes for a long time afterwards.

The remaining eleven men stared after with horror, none daring to even draw a breath.

"Well, thank the gods _that's_ over."

The rider grabbed their attention again, and now he removed his mask, tucking it under his arm. The captain was taken aback, discovering that it was not a grown man underneath the armor. In fact, the rider hardly seemed to be past his teenage years. Now that his features were visible, his emotions were easier to see, and at the moment he seemed extremely annoyed.

"As for the rest of you, you are guilty of running a ship without flying the Berkian colors. Now that gets you..." He bobbed his head around in mock self-debate; his nonchalant manner did little to comfort the crew. "...a week of labor to repay for lost dues. However, what your friend said back there has me wondering. Is it true that you've never seen a Monstrous Nightmare?"

The crew looked at each other, each asking the others to speak and none wishing to be the speaker.

"Come on, I asked a question, you provide an answer. Very simple, here."

The captain took a deep breath, and spoke with as much dignity as he could muster; nevertheless, a slight tremble could be heard. "No, none of us have seen a 'Monstrous Nightmare' in our lives."

"Interesting...what dragons are you familiar with?" As he paced back and forth, the black dragon wandered up to him, and he greeted it with kind words. "Hey bud, don't worry, we'll be out of here soon. I'm almost done."

"I cannot say that any of us have any experience with dragons. We come from a very far land, a peaceful land, where no such beasts exist. We are here on-"

"No dragons? None?" The boy was incredulous, and he shook his head slowly. "Where are you from?"

"We bring tidings from the Kingdom of Kranzgrad, and seek to establish strong and lasting friendships. Friendships with _good_ kings and queens." He emphasized this last point. As the rider seemed to ponder this, the captain hazarded his own question. "May I ask who we are currently speaking to, and where we are?"

"Oh, right! I have not been properly introduced." He puffed out his chest and recited: "I am Lord Haddock, the Dragon Overlord, Sovereign over the Skies, and Emperor over Greater Berk. You're currently on - or, under the Isle of Berk. I don't think I'll be having you stay here, though..."

"Why?"

"Well, you all kind of owe me a week of labor, remember?" He rested his hand on his chin, and nodded. "I've been looking for more iron recently. I'll take you southwest, the mines on Ganz Island could use more people."

The captain could hardly believe his ears. "No, we are peaceful emissaries! Please, Lord Haddock, show decency and let us go."

The boy considered this. The black dragon came up to him again, and he gave a pat on its head as he answered. "Where is Kranzgrad?"

"It's just a few weeks to the east." The captain filled with hope. "Our cartographer, he's..." He looked around. "He's gone, but I'm sure we can find our way back by memory."

"To the east." He crossed his arms. "I'll have to put it on my list."

"List?" The hope suddenly converted to dread.

"Places I have to visit, see for myself." Now he put his mask back on, and mounted the black dragon again. "The life of an emperor is busy though, so it may be a while before I can come around. In the meantime, I hope you'll enjoy yourselves on Ganz Island. And who knows, after your time is up, perhaps you'll even settle in."

The captain ran out of things to say.

"Bring them! Follow me!"

Lord Haddock took off, and the dragons grabbed the crew and followed suit.


	7. Quiet Evening

Astrid sat and watched the whetstone wheel grind against her axe, making sure to keep the edge smooth and curved. Its cheek gleamed with a large inset ruby, and inscriptions were written over the mirrored surface that reflected her face. The large room around her was warmly lit by a flickering fire, which roared in the hearth, and the windows showed the quiet darkness of night outside. Around her, paintings and tapestries covered the walls, scarcely leaving room to see the wood underneath.

She was just finishing when the door opened, and a familiar voice called out. "Good evening, milady!"

"Hey!" Astrid lifted the axe from the wheel and set it on her lap, tilting her head to the side a bit. The warm touch of gentle lips on her cheek brought out a smile, and she held Hiccup's head close to her own.

"I'm home."

"I can see that." With a chuckle, she let his head go, and took her axe to lean it against the wall. Toothless, meanwhile, curled up by the fireplace and watched the two humans talk.

"So, other than sharpening your favorite axe," Hiccup sprawled on the couch, leaving a space which Astrid filled beside him, "what else did you have going on today?"

"Ah, you know, nothing much. I was thinking, actually, of taking a boat to the far side of the island, camping for a few days." She started to tie a small braid in his hair, right by two others she had done before, which he allowed. "Maybe, if you want to come, we could go together?"

"Hmm, tomorrow…" He leaned his head back as he thought. "Can you wait until about noon?"

"I suppose, why?"

"Fishlegs gave me the trade report this morning, one of the islands hasn't paid its levy this month. I'm gonna take Toothless over, figure it out." He turned to look at her. "I should be back by noon, though, if I leave at sunrise. Then I think I'd love to join you." He took her hand and gave it a squeeze, smiling.

"Alright." Astrid grinned back, but Hiccup's mention of the levy unsettled her. "I'll wait for you then, and don't give the island too much trouble!" She gave a slight chuckle, even though it had not really been a joke.

Hiccup shook his head. "Nah, they're usually good with it. The local governor, he's never given me any trouble before, always willing to cooperate. More than likely, something's gone wrong, so like I said, I'll just see what I can work out."

"Good, that's good." Astrid felt relieved inside, and she began twirling the braids in his hair. "So, your turn. What did _you_ do today?"

"Eh, it was much of the usual. Like I said, Fishlegs gave me the trade report, and everything else is running well. I spent some time transcribing stuff. But a little before noon, Skyscorch flew in, with an arrow sticking from his leg!"

A pang of fear gripped Astrid. She stopped playing with his hair. "What happened?"

"Well, after I bandaged him up – it wasn't too bad, thank the gods – I took most of the dragons out, and Skyscorch led us to this ship that was sailing from the east. And on top of shooting a dragon, they weren't flying the Berk crest."

Astrid knew where this was heading, but she still asked. "What did you do?"

"Well, you know the drill. Running a vessel without paying the duty is a week, along with the destruction of the actual vessel. As for the guy who shot Skyscorch…" He threw his hands up in mock surrender. "You know how dragons are when you attack them."

Astrid looked away, bit her lip. Then she turned back. "Are you sure they need a whole week though? I mean, have they done this before?"

"No. In fact, they're not even from the archipelago."

"Well, there you go then! They probably didn't even know about the levy, there's no need to punish them more."

But he shook his head. "No. No, if they're going to be around here, they need to learn to respect the law." He gazed ahead, at nothing in particular. "They need to learn to respect me."

Astrid hated to see Hiccup like this; it chilled her to hear him condemning people so easily. For a brief moment, the small scrawny boy from years ago reappeared in front of her. The boy who fought the worst but tried the most out of everyone. He was constantly scribbling away in his notebook, cooking up fantastic plots and devices. Now he sat sullen at the far table, staring into his cup as everyone jeered at him. There he was, trying to persuade Gobber to let him fight the dragon raid, pleading for his chance to prove his worth. Now he walked by, subjected to an onslaught of ridicule. And now he evaporated, leaving only the man who sat beside her. He was taller, leaner, stronger, and acted with an authority he had never dreamed of having for the first fifteen years of his life. _Gods, why didn't I reach out to him sooner?_

All this ran through her head in seconds.

"Well…" She snapped him out of his stony gaze. "If you're looking for respect, I'm sure you put it into them. Maybe you can go back, lighten up a little bit on them for not being aware? I'm sure they'd be very grateful for it."

Hiccup took a deep breath, the air wheezing through his nose. "I guess, since they didn't know…I'll swing by tomorrow on my way back, let them off the hook. Don't see how I'll get them back home, but at least they can start their new lives on Ganz Island."

Astrid breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, at least they'll be free again." Seeking to change the subject, she looked up a bit, and over the fireplace spotted a portrait. It showed herself and Hiccup embracing each other, with Toothless standing right behind them. "Heh, remember when we got that painted for us?"

Hiccup turned to see. "Oh yeah! Darned thing took hours, thought we were going to have to spend the night standing there." He chuckled, and Astrid was thankful to see warmth return to his eyes.

"Yeah, and then a few hours in, you suddenly sneezed, with me right in the way."

"Hey, it was an accident, alright? You know how sneezes are." Both laughed at the memory.

"Oh, and Toothless just jumped five feet straight into the air. You almost gave your dragon a heart attack!"

Toothless perked up at his name. When he saw they were laughing at his expense, he dropped his eyelids in insult and turned away.

"Oh boy…" Hiccup shook his head at the painting. "After that, if I so much as sniffed you would jerk away."

"Did you expect me to trust you again so quickly?"

"Man, _that_ was a fun day."

"I don't remember you complaining, though. Maybe it had something to do with being in my arms…" And she put her arms around Hiccup, grateful to have the peaceable and joyful version of him back. She felt him return the gesture, and she relaxed a bit. They stayed that way for a long time together.

"Hey Astrid?"

"Yeah?" She could sense concern in his voice.

"I'm…I'm doing the right thing, aren't I?"

Astrid was surprised, but also grateful for the potential opportunity that presented itself. "Well…what do you mean by that?"

"I mean…" He struggled for words. "I know a lot of people don't like me. I'm not blind, I can see it, even if they don't say it. But I've done a lot for Berk. The Outcasts are gone, and the Berserkers are part of the empire now. I stopped the raids. Plus, you look around the village, everything is better. All the buildings are sturdier, trade keeps people busy and living well. And, with the dragons fishing, there's more food than we can eat."

"Yeah, it seems pretty great…then what's troubling you?"

Hiccup didn't answer at first. His gaze was cast down. "I don't know, maybe I'm just being stupid right now."

"Well maybe," She lifted his chin so that he looked her in the eyes. "Maybe if you loosen up a bit, you'll feel a little better. You don't have to be in charge of everything, you know."

She watched his face, gauged his reaction. For a while he just kept staring at her. Then he put his hand on the back of her neck, and gave a quiet, passionate kiss on her lips. Astrid returned it, putting her own arms around him again. After a few seconds he broke, and rested his forehead against hers.

"I don't know what I'd do without you." He caressed her cheek, and gave a demure smile. "You're always here to keep me grounded."

And there he was again, the boy from the past, alive and well again, holding her. Astrid drank in the illusion for as long as she could, not wanting it to vanish again.

After a long silence, Hiccup got up. "Well..." He sighed. "If I'm going to be back in time to join you tomorrow, I'm going to have to get up early, which means I got to get to bed early. C'mon Toothless."

Astrid watched the two go up the stairs, then through the door on the left - her own room was right next door. As she was left to ponder her thoughts, she didn't see Hiccup remove his prosthetic before sitting on the edge of his bed. She did not see him bury his head in his hands, and give a shuddering sigh.


	8. Shipwrecked

Hans awoke to see the sun rising over the water. A misty band of rosy-gold hugged the horizon, with pale blue above and the dark ocean below, and the blazing sun worked to burn off the night fog.

He squeezed his eyes shut and groaned. The hard rock cave he had slept in had taken its toll on his back; the cold wet surface offered no comfort for his weary soul. He got to his feet. Emerging from the cave, Hans blinked his eyes open and looked down the beach. The tide had receded a bit from where it had been last evening, since the board he had swum to shore on lay far from the ocean's edge. Gazing across the sand, he saw various bits of debris which the tireless waves had carried to land. Boards, furniture, clothes, bodies...

Hans coughed in disgust, and looked away. He took a moment to steel himself before turning back again. His movements were uncomfortable in his clothes, stiff from the salt water, but he still proceeded slowly down the beach. With a sharp eye he tried to collect what he could, anything that might be useful. A length of rope, unscathed by the fire, definitely a must-have. An empty glass bottle, still unshattered, also good. Various books, the words washed out, but the paper once dried could make for kindling.

That reminded Hans of something. Setting his haul on the sand, his fingers darted to his coat pocket. He had been so exhausted and focused on finding shelter last night that he hadn't bothered to check...

He pulled out his diary, and frantically flipped it open. As his fingers danced from page to page, he saw the words - or rather, saw the smudges that had until yesterday been words, until the ocean drowned them.

"God damn it!"

He hurled the book away, enraged that his records were lost. His map, reduced to ashes. All this journey for nothing, all the discovery lost. Lives blown into the sea, all for naught. Hans looked down now at one of his shipmates - Alexander, a young man who had a wife and three kids back in Kranzgrad, who loved to gaze at the stars out on deck, who dreamed of one day captaining his own ship, who could make anyone laugh with his genius story about three drunken reindeer - pallid, clammy, pale lips which would not laugh or sing or kiss any more. And for what crime? Hans' face twisted in agony and fury.

"Damn you!" He shook his fists as he screamed across the water. "Damn you! DAMN YOU!" He kicked at the sand, sank to his knees as he sobbed for his brethren, scanned the sky for a glimpse of God and finding none.

He wailed until he felt his chest would burst.

Finally he surrendered to exhaustion, and sat quietly on the beach. He sniffed, glared over at his collection of items. Gazing down the beach again, though, his eyes came to rest as he spotted-

"Oh...oh please..."

He dashed over the shifting sands to a chest, small enough to be lifted by only one of its handles. It was one piece, still sealed. Hans immediately recognized it as the captain's, and opened it. Three more books were inside. Taking one of them and looking through it, he choked on his joy to see most of the words legible and clear, with only a few smears around the edges.

"Oh, thank God."

They were the last reminders he had of Kranzgrad.

The chest proved portable enough to be used to carry things around in, and soon Hans had finished scrounging the beach. Holding a book in one hand, dangling the latched chest in the other, he turned his back to the ocean.

The island proved docile enough. There were a few wooded clumps, and some stony outcrops dotted the surface, but for the most part the terrain was soft, rolling, and grassy. Gentle hills climbed and fell. And sheep, sheep were all around. Always in large packs, Hans noticed, and they stared after him. The effect was chilling, and he shuddered as he felt their eyes bore into his back.

Now as he worked his way up another hill, he saw a fence, running along its peak. He jogged to it, stared down its length in both directions.

_Please let there still be people._

Hans followed the fence, dull and wooden, as it meandered across the grass. As he crested one last hill, he saw a house down below and a shepherd in the fields - and lots of houses beyond his.

"Hello!" He waved his hand with the book in it, high over his head. Thankfully the shepherd heard his call, and came walking over at a brisk pace.

"What the..." The man was wearing a brown tunic, a horned helmet, a large bushy beard, and an expression of bewilderment. "Who are you?"

"Please, I have been through much over the past day. I just ask for rest, even if only for an hour."

"Who are you?" The shepherd repeated the question, but also began to motion his visitor into the house.

"My name is Hans Hermann, I come from Kranzgrad, a kingdom to the east. I was part of an expedition to explore and find new lands, but my ship was attacked by dragons, and my crew is-"

"Dragons?!" He froze and stared, his face suddenly alarmed.

"Yes! I know, it's difficult to believe. But I swear upon my soul, they came in, dozens of them, and-"

"I cannot help you." The shepherd began shaking his head, and led Hans roughly to the door. "If the Dragon Overlord is involved, if he wants you, then I want nothing to do with this business!"

"Wait, wait! Please, just a few minutes of rest before I go. And I don't even know where I am, or who this 'overlord' is-"

"The governor's house is in the center of the village." He shoved Hans out the door, then pointed. "That way, look for the largest hut. Now I am sorry to be rude, but good day!" And with that, the door slammed.

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, Hans was repeating his identity and origin to Governor Waltheson, a stout man who had thinning hair and a quiet face. The governor's son, a skinny blond-haired boy named Peter, sat on a nearby windowsill, pretending to play with a stuffed dragon as he eavesdropped.<p>

"And may I ask, please, where I am?"

The governor said nothing for a moment, merely staring from his blue-clothed seat. Then he motioned to a matching chair nearby. "Please Mr. Hermann, sit down."

The cartographer did so. Waltheson leaned his head on his palm and sighed.

"You're in the village of Carlhorse." As he spoke he looked up. "We're part of Greater Berk: the eastern fringe of the empire, to be exact. Berk itself is a few days away by sailing, even though the dragons can fly it quickly enough."

"We were not aware of any imperial power here. And where do the dragons come from?"

The governor sighed, and folded his hands. "I think I can answer both questions at the same time. The Berkian Empire is very new, but it has built up fast. We ourselves didn't join until a couple of years ago. I was chief back then, and things were terrible. If it wasn't dragons stealing our food, it was barbarians from the east, who would carry off what little we had left - and if we didn't have enough, they took women and children.

"But one day, the dragons stopped coming. A few nights of rest from their raids turned into weeks, and we were all very relieved. Except, of course, the barbarians were relieved as well, and their attacks only grew more frequent. We were dwindling, and I feared we would all perish within a generation.

"Then one day, three years after the raids stopped, this boy, only seventeen or eighteen years old, came to our shores. And he was riding a dragon!"

"The rider...was the dragon black?"

"Yes, a Night Fury!" The governor nodded. "And he was followed by at least thirty others, all kinds - Nadders, Nightmares, even a few Whispering Deaths. For a moment I thought that Ragnarok had begun, that it was one of the gods preparing to enter into a death battle with his brothers! But he dismounted, and called for a leader. So I stepped forward, of course. He asked me to show him around the village, and inquired about our affairs. Of course I told him about the barbarians and their merciless assaults. Then he made me a deal: in exchange for our allegiance to him, he would give us protection and prosperity until the end of days."

"And you did it? You agreed with him?"

"Of course I did! I cannot say no to a man who commands such power, especially when he offers to help. And under such lenient terms: Lord Haddock - bless his name - allowed me to keep my position as head of Carlhorse, converting the chiefdom into a governorship, and he leaves us free to manage our affairs, only asking a small tribute each month." At this he seemed a little uncomfortable.

"What about the raiders?"

At this the governor fell silent, and looked down. "The day that we joined the empire, Lord Haddock kept his dragons on the island until nightfall. Then I and a few others took a ship out to the east, to the raiders' den. He and his dragons followed."

"But he kept his word."

"Yes..." Waltheson stared into space, as if entranced. "I swear upon Thor, I remember my initial impression of him - that he was a god - and I still wonder if I was not at least partially correct. When the dragons attacked, night turned into hellish day. Fire of all forms spewed from the sky, and in the light you could see the silhouettes." He sniffed though, and let his expression harden, shaking his head. "Those murderers deserved it though. They had no human decency, no honor. They took my wife and my daughter and..." He quickly glanced at his son, playing by the window, and closed his eyes, a couple of tears brimming.

Hans could hardly believe his ears. Here were tales of legends and myths, being presented as history. "But...but he killed my crew. Your Lord Haddock killed my entire crew!"

"I am grateful," the governor snapped, causing his son to whip around, "for Lord Haddock. After we spent decades suffering in grief, he ended it, took the pain away. He watches the oceans, organizes trade, provides for us. We have always been shepherds, and all that has changed since his arrival is that we are now rich shepherds. His dragons bring in enough fish to feed us all, and with the wool and milk we sell to the other islands in the empire, life has never been better for Carlhorse." He glared at Hans, daring him to retort back.

Before Hans could answer, there was shouting outside, and the door opened.

"Governor Waltheson! Lord Haddock is here!"

The governor looked out the door as the messenger left, a slight trace of worry shadowing his face.

"Oh dear..."

He sprang from his seat. Hans and Peter hurried after. A crowd of people were either flocking to the main square or, mostly, fleeing to their homes. Up ahead, the rider was just dismounting from his dragon - the "Night Fury", Hans remembered the name - while four other dragons took up positions alongside him.

"Lord Haddock!" Waltheson sprinted up to the teen, who was just removing his helmet. The governor quickly nodded his head in a quick bow before speaking. "I was not aware you were coming, otherwise I would have prepared-"

"Nah, it's alright, I won't be staying too long. Hopefully. I have a busy day."

Hans found a spot in the circle to see, watching with curious, uneasy eyes. He suddenly realized that he was standing right behind Peter. The boy seemed to glance from father to emperor with furtive, worried glances.

"Oh, of course my lord. The minutia of running an empire must weigh upon you."

"Yes, it does, and it's rather annoying," Lord Haddock crossed his arms, "when I have to interrupt that to fly all the way here to see why you are late with your levy."

Waltheson went a bit pale. "M-my lord, we have had a terrible past few months. Our flocks were devastated by disease, and although we were able to contain it, our supply of wool has plummeted as a result."

The emperor nodded his head to this, pacing back and forth as he listened. He silently motioned for the governor to continue.

"Our treasury has been depleted, and we hardly have enough wool to trade. Please, we are just falling on hard times."

Lord Haddock continued to nod at all of this, and now approached Waltheson. Side by side, Hans could notice how much taller the emperor was in contrast. He also noticed Peter tensing up ever so slightly.

"Waltheson." Lord Haddock rested a hand on the governor's shoulder. "Good people of Carlhorse!" He shouted to everyone present. "I am perfectly reasonable. I can see what's going on. You've always been good and loyal. Tell me, how long will it take you to recover?"

"Uh," Waltheson glanced furtively to either side, wanting a number not too low or high. "In five months, our herds should be at their full size again."

"Very well. I grant you all a pardon! For the next five months, there will be no levy for Carlhorse. You can repay me what I'm owed later."

"Oh, thank you!" He took the emperor's hand and gave it a hearty shake. "Thank you, Lord Haddock!" And a general sense of relief came over everyone present.

"Yeah, yeah. Just remember, I'll still be expecting it later on."

"Of course, I would never dream of forgetting it, of cheating you after all you've done for us. And you shall have more than what you ask once we are back on our feet."

Lord Haddock now turned to leave, and for a split second his eyes connected with Hans'. Then he turned away - and now back again.

"Hold on a moment." Everyone snapped back to attention, and he motioned to Hans. "Come here."

All eyes turned on him. Hans felt his breath steal away, but he slowly stepped forward. The teen came up to him, a curious look in his eyes.

"Have I seen you somewhere?"

Hans wanted so badly to yell, curse, tell him exactly where he had seen him. He realized, though, that it would be a very poor decision at the moment.

"Wait..." His memory seemed to catch up to him. "Wait, were you on the ship yesterday?"

Hans bit his lip and looked down, not wanting to betray the anger in his eyes. He gave a curt nod.

There was no response for a while.

"If it's any consolation, most of your crew is still alive."

He looked up, looked eye-to-eye with the boy he had been cursing only hours before, and saw Lord Haddock staring at him not with anger or malice, but rather...was it regret?

"They're on Ganz Island. I'm heading that way right now, actually. If you'd like, I can take you there." He motioned to the Night Fury.

Hans' voice caught in his throat, several emotions tearing through him. Finally, he brought himself under enough control to enunciate, "No."

Lord Haddock nodded, then dropped his eyes. "What's your book about?"

In all the rush outside, Hans had forgotten that he still had a book in his hand. He looked down now at the cover, tan with black lettering: _Aristotelian Metallurgy and Transmutation_.

"Can I see?"

Feeling little choice in the matter, Hans handed over the text. Lord Haddock thumbed through it, his eyes lighting up as they began to devour the pages inside.

"I'm a bit of a collector, in my free time." Lord Haddock motioned for Hans to follow him to the Night Fury, which the cartographer did with little enthusiasm. The teen kept his gaze on the book. "I'm trying to build a library on Berk, so I transcribe texts, collect folk stories, you know. Things you would find in a library, things that define our culture." He finally closed the text and began digging in a knapsack which was tied to the dragon's saddle, and pulled out a small pouch. "Would you be willing to sell it?"

Hans hardly knew what to say. "It's...it's not strictly mine."

Lord Haddock chuckled. "Well, you had it in your hand. Here," he dug into the pouch and pulled out several gold coins. "Would this be enough to cover your trouble?"

"I..." He was torn between keeping hold of the captain's possessions and keeping the peace. Finally, he yielded. "I'll take it."

The gold coins were deposited in his hand. Looking at them, Hans found a dragon etched onto one side, and a Norse rune on the other.

"Thank you!" Lord Haddock slid the book into the sack, then mounted his dragon. "By the way, I didn't catch your name?"

"Hans. Hans Hermann."

"Hans, welcome to Greater Berk. Sorry to get off on the wrong foot, but I hope you enjoy it here." With a warm smile that revolted the cartographer, the emperor hunched low over the Night Fury before they took off into the sky.


	9. Into the Woods

The sun perched at its zenith, its warm light piercing down onto the Isle of Berk. The shadows were short, and the road ran long and winding as Astrid walked along it. She carried a basket slung over her shoulder as she made her way through the village to the docks.

No one was in sight.

Well, not exactly _no one._ The dragons seemed cheery enough, following each other around and vocalizing in dozens of mannerisms. They always watched her as she approached and went by, their eyes watching for any harm which could threaten the girl. For example, at the moment two Nadders and a Gronckle interrupted their play-fight to cock their heads in curiosity as she passed.

Astrid gave a feeble smile and waved, then turned her eyes back to the ground. She knew there were people around, hidden away in the buildings that lined the street. They retreated into their homes and forges and woodshops and simply shuttered themselves inside until she passed. No one wished to get in her way, no one wished to risk distressing her. Nobody wanted to cross Hiccup's girl.

And she hated that.

At least now she was about to have contact with one of the few humans who didn't shun her. Setting down the basket by Gobber's window, she knocked on the wood. There was a clatter inside.

"Who is it?"

"It's Astrid," she replied in a soft voice. Although, technically, her full title was Lady Astrid Hofferson, Empress Consort, Queen of Berk and Mistress of Steel.

She hated that, too.

The window opened, and Gobber looked out. "Astrid! Fancy seein' you 'ere." He was just fitting his hook attachment onto his left arm. "Come down to visit your subjects, eh?"

"You know it's not like that." She could tell he was joking - and yet, it cut too deeply for her. He must have seen the hurt expression on her face.

"Eh, don't it take it the wrong way. I'm just sayin', we hardly see you anymore."

"Maybe if everyone didn't shut themselves in every time I start to walk by, they'd see me more."

Gobber nodded in silence, and opted for a change in topic. "Well, what can I do for ye?"

"Hiccup and I are going to the forest." She gestured to the basket sitting beside her. "And I wanted to practice my archery-"

"Say no more!" Gobber turned and reached behind him, producing a handful of arrows. " 'ow many?"

"Um...ten?"

"That's seven, eight, nine...'ere ya go!" He wrapped the bundle in a cloth and handed it through the window.

"Thanks. How much is that?"

"Hrmmmm." He scratched his beard with his hook. "Two coins an arrow, but for buyin' the lot...I'll take fifteen."

"Alright." Astrid began counting out the currency. "You know why I always come to you for this stuff?"

"You mean besides my superior craftsmanship and delightful good looks?"

She snorted; gods, she appreciated humor when she could still find it. "You actually do business with me. Real business."

"Real business? As opposed to...?"

"Giving me everything for free." A small pile of golden coins lay on the counter. "I go anywhere else, they try to shove their entire shop into my hands. On top of that, they won't even look at me, or talk to me like a normal person, much less actually crack jokes like you do."

"Well, I guess I can get away with it, havin' known you before..." he waved his hand around, "this."

Astrid turned and looked at Berk - the new Berk, the rich Berk, the powerful Berk. The village was the seat of an empire, and looked the part. The dirt path had been overlaid with cobblestone, leading all the way from the Great Hall to the docks. Half the wooden huts had been replaced with stone, smoothed and polished with rounded arches and flat rooftops for the dragons to sit on. On each building were hung cloth streamers of every color, as well as spoils and artifacts from war: a public collection that proclaimed victory to all who looked upon it.

"Y'know, as much as I messed with 'im, I had a feelin' that boy would do somethin' with himself. I jus' didn't realize it would be..." He gestured again.

"Yeah..." Astrid gazed at the far end of the village, where a statue stood. It was life-sized, painted marble, and portrayed Hiccup pointing across the sea. A gift from one of the provinces to the north, for the emperor's twentieth birthday. "Yeah, but things are better now, right?",

"Oh yeah, much better." He grabbed a rag and started to polish his hook. "Much, much better now."

She couldn't tell how much sarcasm he meant to inject into his words.

Gobber looked up. "Speakin' o' that boy..." He pointed at the sky behind her head, where a Night Fury was swooping towards the ground, and proceeded to turn away.

"Hey!" Hiccup got off of Toothless, removed his helmet, and jogged over to Astrid, leaving a quick peck on her cheek. "Got everything ready?"

"Yeah, I was just getting a few of these." She held up the arrows. "I'm going to practice a bit, and maybe you can try."

He snorted. "After what happened last time? No thank you!"

"Come on, that was a long time ago!" She opened the lid to the basket. "And you were holding it wrong."

"Are you sure you're not trying to kill me?"

"You got a little scrape on your arm, it didn't almost kill you!" She laughed as she tossed the arrows into her basket and closed the lid again. "Can you take this down to the docks for me? There's one more basket back home, I'll go grab it."

"Oh, actually, I was going to go change. I'd like to have something more comfortable than leather." He took a few steps down the road. "You head down to the boat, I'll grab the other basket."

"Alright, but keep your armguards on. You'll need them." Astrid slung it over her shoulder. "Seeya there. Bye Gobber!"

The blacksmith raised his hand in farewell, and gave a polite nod to Hiccup before closing the window of his shop. Hiccup set off in the opposite direction as Astrid continued towards the ocean, following the road as it approached the corner of a house. Suddenly, a ball bounced into her path. She set down her load and knelt to pick up the toy, just as a young boy and girl came laughing around the bend. The two children met her eyes, and the playful grins dissolved.

Astrid did her best to smile at them, and held out the ball. "Here." She nodded in encouragement.

The boy and girl did not speak back, only drawing closer together. Astrid watched as they took a step back, then another, all the while keeping a wary gaze. Then they broke into a run, disappearing again behind the corner.

She sighed and dropped her head. Setting the ball on the cobblestone, she picked up the basket again, and set off.

Astrid had not really expected a different reaction.

* * *

><p>"Now pull it back..."<p>

True to her word, Astrid had convinced Hiccup to try his hand one last time at the bow. He had changed into his signature green tunic, complete with pants and fur vest - but had chosen to heed Astrid's request to leave his leather armguards on, to keep his arms from being skinned again. Toothless was frolicking in the forest, never straying too far - Astrid never grew used to the sight of the huge black lizard _frolicking_.

Thirty feet away stood a large tree, which bore a chalk circle on its trunk.

"Alright, you look good. Aim for the target and let go!"

He took a deep breath, and let the arrow fly. It sailed through the air, past the target, and into the ground a ways further on.

"That's not the target," Astrid chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah." Hiccup bent down and plucked another arrow from the ground. "At least this time, I didn't get hurt." He flashed a smile before nocking the arrow. Straightening his back, he aimed once more, drew the string back.

The arrow flipped up and smacked him in the face.

"Ow!" He stumbled back, dropping the bow and clutching his eye.

Astrid burst out laughing as the arrow spun away. "That's still not the target!" She stopped him and pried his hand away from his face. "Here, let me see. Let me see. Aw, it's not even drawing blood. You'll be fine."

"It still hurts though." He felt his face with a ginger touch - a pale red welt was beginning to rise.

"Here." She gave a quick kiss on his cheek. "Better now?"

Hiccup became sheepish. "A little, I guess...But see, I told you this would happen."

"Hmmm." Astrid gave him a smirk. "You go sit and rest. You're excused from archery from the rest of the day."

"As you say, milady." He went over by a tree and sat on the ground, pulling a book from his vest pocket and flipping it open.

They stayed that way for a few hours, Hiccup reading and Astrid firing arrows - and dragons, constantly overhead, keeping an eye on their alpha. Their shadows constantly darted around as they perched in the trees or simply flew over, often staying for no more than a few minutes before leaving again. Astrid had learned to tune them out.

Soon she switched from archery to axe throwing, giving a satisfied "Ha!" each time she embedded the head into a trunk.

"Hey Hiccup!"

He looked up, and saw her pulling the axe from another tree. "Before you ask me, I am not going to try that."

"Are you sure? You're so good with a bow, I think you're ready to graduate to sharper, heavier weapons!"

"Yeah, exactly what I mean." He shook his head and glanced down at the book again. "What's going on?"

"I was just seeing what you're doing, what you're reading."

"I just got this today, at Carlhorse." He held up the cover so she could see it. It was a strange form of Norse, clearly from a distant land, but it was just familiar enough that she could make it out.

"'Aristotelian Metallurgy and Transmutation'?"

"Yeah, it's really fascinating. Here, look." He got up and came alongside her, so she could see the book herself. "The author was trying to explore how to create these different substances. Here, he has notes about a universal solvent - it can dissolve any substance."

"Okay." Astrid nodded. "And he would want that why?"

Hiccup opened his mouth - but failed to find words. "Well, it's just interesting, I guess. But that's not the best part of this. Look..." He flipped some pages, and pointed. "He did a lot of work on turning different metals into gold. And here," a few more pages forward, "the Water of Life, that can keep a person young forever. And after that, a lot of information about creating and dyeing gemstones, fabricating pearls..." He flipped through the book with eager anticipation. "It's just amazing!"

"Wow! He must have been rich!"

"Yeah, except...it doesn't seem like most of his work actually succeeded."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, it looks like most of it was speculation and trying to find the specific formulas he was looking for. There are plenty of places where he describes what didn't work...but maybe I can pick up where he left off?"

"Maybe." Astrid brushed his hair out his eyes as he stared at the book. "Is your face better?"

He snorted and looked at her. "My face is fine."

"Good." She stood and began walking away. "Let's go swimming then!"

"And how exactly does 'my face being okay' equal 'going swimming'?" But he still followed her.

"Well, do you want to go swimming?"

"I mean, I guess..."

"There we go then!"

Toothless saw them strolling off, and quickly ran after them. He came up first to Hiccup, then Astrid, and both greeted him.

"Hey Toothless." Astrid gave him a scratch by the ear, prompting a satisfied grumble from the dragon. "Don't worry, we're not going anywhere without you."

After a few minutes of walking, the trio came up to a wide pool of water. Gentle ripples covered the surface, a flawed mirror that reflected a beautifully cloudy sky and the trees that framed the lake. Hiccup pulled the book from his pocket and, after a quick glance around, set it a good ways from the water's edge. Then he left his vest on top of it, and came over to the water's edge. "Ready?"

"Yeah, hold on." Astrid was just pulling her boots off. She looked up at Hiccup, who was trekking up a small mound that led up to the pond. He always swam fully clothed...and she never knew exactly why. And it wasn't just here - back at home, he only undressed behind closed doors. He wouldn't even take off his shoes in front of her. But, Hiccup had always been strange. Astrid wouldn't begrudge him one more quirk.

Soon, she was standing beside him, with the water a few feet down from where they stood. Then they both jumped, and shattered the rippling mirror together.

"Woah, hey!" Astrid yelped as Toothless followed and leapt from the same mound, splashing into the water. The dragon shook his head and began pouncing around, sending waves everywhere.

"Hey, hey bud!" Hiccup laughed as he tried to get the Night Fury to calm down. "Don't forget you have two humans in here with-"

He flinched as the freezing cold of water splashed onto his neck. Turning around, Astrid was grinning with a mischievous look.

"Oh, it's on."

With a smack at the pond's surface, he sent a barrage of water hurtling back. The two splashed around the pond, chasing each other, while Toothless swam around on his own. The other dragons kept vigil in the treetops and the sky above.

A while later - a few minutes or hours, it was hard to tell- a squawking interrupted them.

"Hm, what?"

Hiccup's arms froze as he turned around. A Terrible Terror beat its wings in the air behind him. A note was tied around its leg. Dragon mail, another invention of his.

"Oh not right now, I'm busy. Home." He pointed back in the direction of the village. "Home!"

With a frustrated cry, the tiny dragon turned and flew off. Hiccup turned back just in time to get a faceful of water.

"Hey, no fair!" He splashed back. "I was distracted."

"Not my fault!"

Astrid loved him when he was like this: playful, light-hearted. The Emperor of Berk was nowhere to be seen. She only wished they had more times together like this.

As this ran through her head, she saw Toothless swimming up behind him, an impish look on his face. Astrid got his message.

"Woah woah, alright." She put out her hands, pretending to catch her breath. "Okay, I think I'm tired out."

"Aw, so soon?" Hiccup shrugged. "You usually never admit defeat."

"Oh, I don't know if I'm doing that." With a grin, she gave a pointed glance behind Hiccup.

He turned to see Toothless with his wings up, ready to strike the water. Astrid could see his shoulders slump.

"Oh come on."


	10. A New Life on Carlhorse

Hans woke up on a third bed in as many days. Groaning, he rubbed his eyes, then put his feet on the floor, still massaging his face. He had hardly slept, with his mind flitting between too many issues. The room was lit in a cold morning light, and serenaded by birdsong, as if that would lift his spirits.

Wait...not birdsong.

Slowly pushing the window open, Hans saw four small dragons outside, each the size of a cat, sitting on the fence and chirping to each other.

With a loud growl, he threw on his new brown cloak and left the bedroom, entering the sitting area. Governor Waltheson was in a chair, holding a cup in one hand. His son Peter was in his lap, reading a book aloud to his father.

"...and she could not stop from asking where the bear-like beast was. 'You see him here', said the Viking. 'I had been condemned to remain under that foul shape until one should love me. You were the only one in the world whose passion could find the goodness in me, and in giving you my crown I cannot fulfill the...'"

Here Peter paused, and his brow furrowed. He looked at his father and pointed in the book. The governor peered closer.

" 'Obligations.' Those are things you _have_ to do."

"Ah." He resumed the story now. "'...discharge the obligations I have to you.' And so they lived the rest of their days together, in that isle east of the sun and west of the moon."

"Very good, Peter." Waltheson clapped his son on the back, prompting a proud grin from the boy. "You take some bread with you, and go play now."

As Peter followed these instructions, the governor finally turned his attention to Hans.

"And good morning to you!" He smiled and raised his drink. "The first of many pleasant ones, I hope. Could I interest you in some sheep milk?" He asked while pointing at his cup.

"No, no thank you." Hans smirked as Peter ran out the door, a chunk of a loaf in his hand. "So young, and already reading?"

A nod. "He makes me proud. I started early with him, and once we became part of Greater Berk, I had even more time to devote to reading. At first it was just a matter of passing on our tribe's history, but now…" He shook his head with pride. "...if he gets good enough, he could go and work on Berk itself, with the money-counters and the scribes."

"He wouldn't inherit your title?"

"Oh no, the emperor hand-picks the governors. But I don't want that for Peter anyways: to be stuck on this island his whole life, even as governor. Why should he be surrounded by sheep when he has the chance to use his head for a living! He deserves a better life than that, better than mine." Waltheson glanced at Hans. "I must tell you, being a lettered man yourself, you could probably find excellent work on Berk too. The pay is good, and the village is far more luxurious than ours."

Hans acknowledged this, but shook his head and sighed. "That may be so, but I don't see how I can work so close to the man - the boy, who attacked our ship. I'm sorry, but I want to stay as far away from Berk as possible. Did you find anyone here in Carlhorse who could use me?"

The governor stopped taking a drink to answer. "If you absolutely insist, they're looking for a new shepherd in one of the northern fields. There are not many alternatives around here, unfortunately. Talk to Mach later today, he'll be pleased to have you. In the meantime, you can continue to stay with me and my son until you have a place of your own."

"Oh, I appreciate your offer." Hans sat down in a chair nearby. "I will not be staying very long in your home, I promise."

"Already looking for a new hut?"

"Oh no, I'm planning to save up what I earn to commission a voyage back home."

Waltheson coughed as he heard this. "Surely, that must be a joke?"

"Absolutely not." He drew back. "I must return to Kranzgrad at once, it is imperative!"

"Look, I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I know what you're going through. I don't. I was born and raised here. You, however, didn't even know our village existed a day ago, and now you're stuck here. I do realize that's very difficult. But you don't understand how difficult also it is to organize any kind of sea travel."

"How so?"

The governor sighed and set down his cup. "Well, all sea-going craft cannot leave port without permission from the emperor. It's a way to keep the seas safe and running smoothly, you see. All approved craft fly the Berkian crest atop their mast. Any that do not have that crest are considered invaders or otherwise illegal."

Hans nodded. "And those ships get blasted?"

A nod answered. "Without one of those flags, the dragons spot you, go back and raise the alarm. You won't get very far."

"Well, I have personal experience with that law. How do I obtain a flag, then?"

"As I said, explicit permission from Lord Haddock. And he doesn't just give them out, you have to detail where your route will be and what your purpose is. Getting a flag would take at least a week, probably two, and he will almost certainly reject your request anyways."

Hans fell silent for a moment. "Is there any way I can get someone to lend me one of their flags? Surely it would be impossible to tell the difference."

A scoff. "I told you, these flags don't get handed out freely; anyone who has one needs it, and will not be willing to part with it, especially since you won't be returning it. And it's not just getting a crest that you have to worry about. How far is Kranzgrad?"

"We were three weeks out when our ship was sunk."

"There we go. All of our ships are only made to travel ten days on the open sea, at most. Constructing a craft large enough to make the voyage would not only cost time and money - resources we don't have at the moment - but would also draw the emperor's attention, which we don't need." He settled back in his seat, and picked up his drink again. "What I recommend is for you to make the best of your situation. You can have a very secure and prosperous life here, once you settle in."

Hans was growing more and more impatient. "I can't exactly leave Kranzgrad behind me."

"Why not?"

"Because they will follow me." He pointed out the window. "I was part of the first of a series of expeditions. We were due to come back a month from two days ago. When we do not return to port, questions will be raised. They will send out more men, possibly even a small army. And since they won't have a Berkian crest, what happens to them?"

Waltheson was silent for a moment, as he rested his hand on his chin. "All I can recommend is to seek an audience with Lord Haddock, and tell him the situation. He may understand."

"He _may_?"

"I cannot give you any more advice than that. There is nothing I can do."

Hans buried his head in his hands, grabbing his hair. "God, that kid and his infernal dragons!"

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Hans was repeating his spiel to Mach, both of them standing far in the grassy fields, as they kept watch over the sheep.<p>

"Trust me, you're not the only one unhappy with the Dragon Overlord." Mach muttered as he kept an eye on the flocks. "I know the governor says that things are better now, and in several ways they are. But at the same time, Lord Haddock wields an iron fist, and there is little comfort in knowing how powerless we are to stop him if his mood sours."

"We have to do something. _I_ have to do something, I can't sit back and wait for more of my countrymen to sail in here and meet their own demise. And I know I can't rely on the emperor, how would I persuade him? Appeal to the goodness of his heart?"

"There is nothing to do. As much as I and others may resent his rule, we have to stay silent about it. Lord Haddock doesn't take criticism well."

Hans didn't reply. He was watching, in the far distance, a pair of two-legged dragons - Nadders, was that their name? - chasing each other, nipping at each other's tails. One would take a playful snap at the other's spikes, then turn and sprint away as its partner gave pursuit.

Finally he spoke again. "They MUST fly a far ways from Berk, just to come and play here."

"Possibly. More than likely, though, they come from one of the other nests. The emperor's tamed almost every one of them in the archipelago, and even started a few of his own. It's a way to keep his reach wide across the islands. He normally only employs the nest on Berk, but if he were to amass every dragon together, he would have a flock of hundreds, maybe thousands. No one knows for sure."

They watched the two Nadders play some more. The reptiles dashed past the sheep, which gathered closer together but otherwise did not acknowledge their proximity.

Mach followed Hans' eye. "Ah, hard to believe isn't it? Dragons, being so happy and friendly like that."

Hans pointed. "Not two days ago...one of those nearly impaled me with its spikes."

"Yeah, they're cheerful enough - until someone provokes them." Now the Nadders were facing each other, bobbing their heads in time, still full of playful energy. "The second you hurt them - or the second Lord Haddock points at you and labels you 'bad' - they turn nasty."

"I can only imagine how they would react if the emperor himself were injured."

"You don't have to imagine. He told us very plainly when he first came here." Mach spoke with a bitter smirk. "The second someone kills him, not only can the assassin look forward to a very messy death, but so can the nearest village and everyone inside. They're trained and everything. Honestly, it's a brilliant move. A man sacrifices himself to kill the emperor, he's a hero. A man sacrifices himself and the people he fights for in the first place...he's much, much less of a hero."

Hans shook his head, and spoke with a grave voice. "In Kranzgrad, we don't have this. We don't have authority so concentrated like this. We do have a king, but he answers to a body that we elect. They constantly vie for superiority, and so neither of them get it. But this...I must beg your pardon, but what you live under here is barbaric. To have one man - a boy," he corrected himself again, "possess the ability to condemn hundreds is terrifying to imagine. Even if he considers his intentions noble, if he holds that much power, he can only evolve into a monster."

Mach nodded. "Welcome to the waiting game that is Greater Berk." He suddenly noticed something in the distance and pointed. "Hey, get that sheep back over to the flock here."


	11. Audience With the Emperor

After a hearty few days in the woods, Astrid stepped back into Berk, with Hiccup and Toothless right behind her. The view from the docks was wondrous: the wooden platforms reached across the shining blue water, and lead to a paved ramp that reached and twisted up the cliffside to the village above. The old timber structures had been torn down long ago, and their dignified replacements stood sturdy and sure. Traffic climbed up and down, from the docks to the village and back again, as people went on about their business. Of course, they were more than happy to step out of the way of the emperor.

Astrid was carrying one of the baskets slung over her back, talking with Hiccup as he carried the other, when they reached the top of the incline and a familiar face came jogging to them.

"Fishlegs!" Hiccup acknowledged him as he stopped, and set the basket down. "What's going on?"

"I just heard you were back." Fishlegs gave a quick nod to them both, never looking Hiccup in the eye. "The Berserkers were early with their levy. It's been counted out, everything's in order and in the treasury."

"Huh, trying to get on my good side?" Hiccup chuckled and folded his arms, glancing across the ocean. "Any other news?"

"Everything else has been running smoothly. All trade has been coming and going on schedule, no fraud of any kind. Sir." He added this last word in a hurry.

"Great! It seems that Berk has been in good hands while I was gone." Hiccup clapped his hand onto Fishleg's shoulder, and Astrid noticed that the latter stiffened. "You were always one of the sharper minds on the island. Thank you, for keeping things going so smoothly." But with the compliment came paired a piercing gaze that gave just the slightest atmosphere of distrust, as if Hiccup was scanning him for anything suspicious.

Fishlegs finally spoke again. "Yeah, yeah. Well, it wasn't a big deal, really. Here, the trade reports, and the treasury accounts from an hour ago." He handed a stack of papers to Hiccup, who began to shuffle through them, his eyes running down the page at a rapid pace. Astrid looked and saw numbers, organized into intricate and yet extremely readable charts. These numbers represented bags of gold, cartfuls of metal, barrels of fish, entire ships of goods that flowed in and out of Berk on a daily basis. The very heart of the empire was laid bare upon these reports, and was held in Hiccup's hands.

"Oh, and don't forget, you are going to be holding audience today."

Hiccup groaned and leaned his head back. "That's right, I was. Ugh, great. Here." He thrust the papers back at Fishlegs. "Stop by later, we'll go over levies and duties together."

"Yes sir." Taking his cue, Fishlegs turned and dashed away. Hiccup turned to Astrid.

"Looks like vacation really is over." With a scoff, he picked up the basket again.

"Oh no, I'll get it." Astrid set down her own load and took it from him. "You go get done what you need to, I'll get everything unpacked."

"Are you sure?" Astrid gave him a look. "Alright, alright, you're sure!" He tossed his hands up in defeat. "I'll go, I'll go. Gotta go see what everyone has to complain about today."

"It won't be that bad. Just stay calm," she took his cheek in her hand, "and be nice."

* * *

><p>The doors of the Great Hall swung open into a large space, where the only objects of note were a long table and two chairs. One chair was wooden and crude, and because of a short fourth leg tended to wobble. The other gleamed with polished wood, inset golden lettering, and a few choice gems. It was in this second chair that Hiccup now sat. Behind him, the fire pit roared with flames, and above him the roof opened to the sky, allowing dragons to swoop in and out as they pleased. Toothless curled up beside him, watching the doors with keen interest. Hiccup yelled now.<p>

"Alright, who's first?"

At this, the two twins entered. Hiccup sat forward, drumming his fingers on the table with anticipation.

"Ruffnut, Tuffnut, glad to have you back. Please, tell me you had some success at last."

The twins came up to the chair, and Tuffnut sat down.

"Hey, ladies first!" Ruffnut shoved him out of the seat.

"Uh, equal treatment, hello?!" Tuffnut got back to his feet and retaliated.

As their conflict escalated, Hiccup gave an exasperated look to Toothless. The dragon glanced at the twins as they continued to wage war over the prized chair, and looked back to Hiccup with a mixture of amusement and pity. _Not my problem_, he seemed to say.

"Uh, guys? Your news?"

Hiccup tried to interject, to no success. Finally his patience wore out.

"ENOUGH!"

He slammed his fist on the table, prompting the twins to freeze where they were - Ruffnut had been trying to wrench off her brother's ears, and Tuffnut had been trying to pull off his sister's braids. Now they both looked at Hiccup. They normally didn't fear much, but they had seen enough to know that they were testing dangerous waters.

The twins quickly assumed formal positions. "Uh, sorry about that," Tuffnut began. "It's just sometimes that, you know, Ruffnut gets so pushy."

"I get pushy?" She rounded on him again. "Maybe next time, you don't take the only chair!"

"Hey, you got the chair last time, so it's only fair that-"

Hiccup cleared his throat and crossed his arms, giving them a glare that practically dared them to continue. The Night Fury also, while not angry, did seem rather annoyed. This motivated Tuffnut to finally begin.

"Right! So, the Holy Roman Empire. Lovely place. Good food, good people, good food. You've gotta try some of these sandwiches, it's the best! I mean, this Hamburg town was absolutely-"

"Did you secure an alliance with their emperor, though?"

"Uhhhh…yeah, about that, I'll let my sister handle that."

Ruffnut elbowed him for putting her in the spotlight, but still spoke up. "He keeps saying he won't sign any kind of deal unless you agree to teach him the secret of training dragons."

"Still going on about that, huh?" Hiccup sighed. "Well, he's going to be sorely disappointed."

"I know, that's what we told him! But he kept insisting, and he finally kicked us out of Hamburg."

"Now I will never taste those wonderful sandwiches again." Tuffnut looked down in dejection.

"Hey, you did all right." Hiccup leaned forward and clasped his hands. "I'll just have to talk to him myself, see what we can agree to. How's everything else in the world of diplomacy?"

"Everything else is fine." Ruffnut seemed relieved to get on to good news. "None of the governors have any complaints, everything's quiet. Do you have anything you'd like us to deliver, any messages?"

"No, no not right now. Check back later, though, we'll see if anything's changed. You're dismissed."

As the twins turned and left, Hiccup stared after them. They may not have been the brightest pair, but in a way that worked in his favor - he never had to worry about them secretly conspiring against him. And even in formal diplomatic work, they could easily deliver the mantra of "peace by submission".

With dragons on his side, Hiccup found world politics infinitely easier to deal with.

"Next!"

A woman came in now, glancing around with plain fear on her face. She caught Hiccup's eye and froze.

"Come here." He beckoned her forward. "What do you want?"

She stepped toward him, visibly trembling, and bent her head down. "Lord Haddock, I come from the Isle of Dalf. And I humbly request a gift of gold for my village, so that we may purchase the timber needed for the construction of new homes. A rockslide has destroyed many houses, and we unfortunately do not have enough wood to rebuild in time for winter. We have no trees on our island, and we fear that many shall perish when the snow comes. Please, I beg of you my lord, show your mercy and we shall be very grateful."

Hiccup nodded slowly as he listened. "How much are you asking for?"

"Anything." The desperation was painfully obvious in her voice. "Anything at all!"

Hiccup reached for his sleeve and unbuttoned a flap, revealing a set of pages bound in leather. Taking a pencil from another pocket in his armor, he began writing on the paper.

"Dalf...gold...houses." He buttoned the hidden book back up, and set down the pencil. "I will speak to my economic advisor about it, and see what can be done. You are dismissed."

"Oh, thank you, thank you my lord! Thank you!" Looking as if she were about to cry from the relief, she turned and went swiftly through the doors.

"Next!"

Now came three men, two with swords. Hiccup sat up straighter as the third man was hauled inside, bound in chains. The other two had to practically drag him across the floor.

"No, no! By Odin's beard, please no! No!"

Hiccup realized how much despair the man was feeling - and that it was inspired by himself. He bit his lip and looked away, trying to train his ears not to hear the desperate cries.

"Lord Haddock!" One of the swordsmen stepped forward, while his partner forced the prisoner to his knees and held him at swordpoint. "This man has been convicted of murder by the people of Fullenhorf Island! In accordance with the Berkian Code, he has been sentenced to face your mercy and wrath. Have done with him as you please."

"Oh Thor, oh gods no…."

Hiccup stood and slowly walked around the table. The sound of his feet hitting the floor was the only sound other than the man's sobs. He looked down at the prisoner's bent head, trembling like a tree about to struck down with a final axe-blow. Then he suddenly turned to the swordsmen.

"What did he do?"

The abrupt attention of the emperor shook the soldier, but he quickly recovered his demeanor. "He had a quarrel with a neighbor, over which of them owned a sheep. In the middle of the night, he slipped poison into the neighbor's water-"

"Please, by Thor, I was drunk! I'm sorry, I would never do such a thing!"

"And yet you _did _do it." The soldier glared down harshly, then back at Hiccup. "The neighbor did not live alone though. He had a family, two children and a third infant. The infant was thirsty, and when the baby tasted the water, he fell dead by sunrise."

"No, no, by the gods, I'm sorry!" He shook the chains, trying to break free. Tears poured down his face, warped in grief. "I never meant to kill a child! I'm not a murderer, I'm not!"

"Your own fellows have stated otherwise!" The swordsman yelled, sending the prisoner into silence again. "Lord Haddock, he awaits your judgment."

Hiccup's pity had quickly turned into revulsion. He knelt to the ground and forced the man to look him in the eyes. "You killed a baby. I hope you feel disgusted with yourself."

"Please, I...I was drunk...and even then, I would _never..._I would do anything to take it back, I swear! Please, have mercy."

Hiccup roughly threw the prisoner's head back, and stood up. He looked at the two swordsmen.

"Let him go."

The soldiers dropped the chain, and the emperor gestured them back. The man stayed kneeling on the floor, watching as Hiccup walked back to his chair. Now he stopped by the Night Fury, and spoke to it, signing as he talked. The dragon's eyes narrowed, and began to glare at the prisoner.

"No...no no no no! Odin's Beard, don't let it at me! Please, by Thor, have mercy my lord!"

Hiccup looked up, his face stone. "A life for a life is a fair exchange!" Then he said one more thing to the Night Fury, and turned to sit.

At this same instant, the black dragon screeched and leapt upon the table, making it tremble. The two swordsmen dived aside in fear. The Night Fury halted at the edge of the table, spreading its wings to present a fearsome image. The man in chains lost all ability to yell as the dragon opened its mouth, let out a high-pitched scream, and hit him in the chest with a blast that left the room choked in smoke.

The two swordsmen coughed as the air cleared, and getting to their feet found the dead body of the prisoner lying several feet back from where he had been kneeling.

"He's yours to keep, do whatever you want with him now." Hiccup waved them away. "You are dismissed."

Hiccup could hear the gasps from people outside as the two swordsmen dragged the body away. Toothless came back over by his chair, grumbling.

"Hey, you did good bud." He laid his hand on the dragon's snout. "He was a bad man, and what he did was…horrible. Just horrible." Shaking his head, he called out in a weary voice: "Next!"

A thin man walked in, clearly shaken up from the ruckus before him and the aftermath that had been carried past him. He eyeballed Toothless as he spoke.

"Lord Haddock, I am from the Island of Yulrolan, and we need your immediate presence to intervene in a conflict that will soon destroy us."

"Yulrolan...southeast, small little community, kind of on the fringes, right? One of the nests nearby?"

"Yes my lord."

"Hm, the Bewilderbeasts are rather tricky to deal with. I will come within a few days and handle the situation. Thank you, you are-"

"No, you don't understand. There seems to be someone, or even multiple people, trying to stir up trouble deliberately."

Hiccup nodded. "I see..."

"Even now the battle rages, and the dragons are only growing more aggressive towards us. We entreat you to come at once!"

"Alright, alright." The emperor rubbed his temples and groaned. "Wait in here, and after I get done with everyone else, I'll fly you back to Yulrolan. I've just got a lot to do, but then I'll deal with this, I promise."

The man from Yulrolan nodded. "Yes, of course. Thank you, my lord." He shuffled to side, still keeping an eye on Toothless, who watched him with curiosity.

Hiccup sighed to himself. "Just have to let Astrid know that I'm going to be leaving." He looked back to the door and called out: "Next!"


	12. The Plan

"-called on me to read, I knew all the words. And then after class, he told me that I was doing the best out of everyone!"

Hans came in as Peter and his father were sitting at the table, sharing a meal of cod. Seeing a third plate set for him, he set his crook against the wall and sat down, untying the strings that held his cloak around his neck. The meat was warm in his fingers as he ate. Waltheson, meanwhile, was engrossed in his son's tale.

"That's fantastic! Best in the class, I'm so proud." He grinned at Peter, then Hans, and back again.

"I just wish everything we read didn't have to do with sheep. It gets boring after a while, I like our stories at home better."

"I know, I prefer them too. But still, the academy's not a bad place, is it?" An eager shake of the head from Peter. "That's right, you learn about reading and writing, arithmetic, geography, all very important. And if you keep up the hard work, you could end up on Berk itself."

Peter looked down, his eyes showing that he was daydreaming. "Maybe I could work for the emperor? I'm good at reading, I could work in the library, writing out books."

"I think you could do that very thing, if you really wanted to." Again, he flashed a grin at Hans, and proceeded to take a bite from his meal.

Hans wiped his mouth with a napkin before he spoke. "Your academy sounds fascinating, Peter! You know, we have places like it back in Kranzgrad."

"Really?" The boy immediately perked up, his curiosity aroused.

"Oh yes. Academies of all kinds, throughout the city. There are schools dedicated to the arts, like painting, sculptures, calligraphy-"

"A whole academy just for art?!"

"Indeed! And you have schools for the sciences, for trade, and for warriors. And the best students from each school are invited to attend the Royal University, where they learn rhetoric, languages, philosophy, quadrivium. I went there myself, that's where I learned cartography." He smiled at the incredulous look on Peter's face. "It's a fantastic place, founded on the very roots of classical education; the pride of the city,I'd say."

Hans nodded as he reveled in the memory, and looked down at his plate. He fell into silence as Waltheson got Peter's attention again, asking what he had done after school. The boy answered with enthusiasm - today, it seemed all the kids had decided to build two play forts from stone, and had proceeded to engage in an epic battle of mud throwing.

"I was mostly just making a few mudballs for the others to throw. Linda pelted Gustave in the face, and he got furious! Then when he was turned, I did throw one, and it hit him, and he didn't even see that it was me!"

Hans looked over at this, and then seemed to retreat back into his own thoughts. Peter finished his story, describing his faction's glorious victory in the mud war, after which they had watched a Monstrous Nightmare try to fight off an annoying pack of Terrible Terrors. Hans only kept half an ear on it, instead focusing on an idea he had begun to hatch…

"Hans?"

Hans was snapped back into the present by the governor's interruption. "Yes, sorry?"

"How was your day? Oh, and please, help yourself to more cod, there's plenty."

"Thank you, I always did have a penchant for fish." Hans picked another helping from the platter in the middle. "And the fields were quiet, nothing really worth reporting."

"Well, no news is better than bad news, that's what I say." He took another bite.

"I was wondering, though, how clever are the dragons?"

The governor gave a small cough, and looked sharply at Hans until he finished chewing. "They're clever enough. Why do you ask?"

"I'm just curious."

Waltheson nodded slowly. "Anything else you're curious about?"

Hans thought for a moment. "How close is Lord Haddock to the dragons, exactly?"

The governor was silent and still. Then he looked at Peter, who was watching intently.

"Do you have any homework, Peter?"

"Just copying some words for spelling."

"Go in your room and get that done." Peter cleared his place and retreated down the hallway. Once the door closed, Waltheson spoke with a low voice. "What are you getting at? You seem very interested in the emperor and the dragons, beyond common curiosity."

Hans took a deep breath, and decided to plunge forward. "I have to get home, that is my most important goal right now."

"Look, I know you're homesick. But please be reasonable, we already talked-"

"But at the same time," Hans pressed on, cutting off the governor, "I'm very worried about what will happen to Kranzgrad in the future. Lord Haddock acts unopposed, and his reach has grown far in such a short time. What will happen when he goes far enough east, and finds us? Even if I could leave, I've come to realize that it would only be a matter of time before the dragons of Berk land on our shores. I can't bear to imagine what would happen to my home when that happens."

"You can't?" The governor stood up, his face austere but not angry. "Follow me."

He stepped out the door, and Hans followed him. They wound past the granary, the great hall, the storehouse, and dozens of houses, all the time going uphill. Finally they reached the summit of the gentle grassy slope, no other people in sight, and Waltheson turned around.

"Look."

He gestured with his hand, and showed Carlhorse in its entirety. Lights showed in the windows of every building, and smoke rose from every chimney. In the distance the setting sun gleamed gold on the ocean, and the sky was gilt pink.

"It's beautiful…" Hans reveled in the sight.

"I know, this view has been my favorite since I was a boy, when my father was chief and I was next in line." He stared at the view, his voice soft. "Back then, though, I didn't know if I was going to get the chance. Between the dragons and the raiders, our village only ever got worse and worse off. Hope seemed to grow ever further away. And when the raiders took Peter's mother and sister, they took away not only two of the most precious things in my life, but also any thought that things could get better…"

He choked and put his hand over his mouth, squeezing his eyes shut.

"I am very, very grateful that this view is still here to share with you, especially now that it may be shared in peace. It would not be here, if it wasn't for Lord Haddock. And even beyond our survival - that academy, that means so much to Peter? We only managed to open that because the emperor personally provided the funds and materials. You wonder what Kranzgrad would be like under him? It would be like Carlhorse - safer, more prosperous."

"And living in fear." Hans rounded on him. "Governor, I know that you feel obligated to him, but it doesn't change that he's dangerous! The other day, when he gave you a reprieve on your debt, what if he hadn't done that? What if he had demanded what you owed him? What would have happened to Carlhorse?"

"He could have done that, but he didn't. You can ask 'what if', but it doesn't change what is. And before you say anything else, know that I will not participate in your plan."

"My plan?"

The governor looked over with derision. "Do not take me for a fool, Hans. You fear the rule of Lord Haddock, and ask me about the dragons and their relationship to him? It doesn't take a mastermind to figure out that you are looking to turn yourself into an assassin. And I will not stand for it."

Hans was startled to have his goal so suddenly exposed. "You don't understand, I have a foolproof plan."

"No, the second you pierce his armor, the dragons will tear us to pieces. It's out of the question, I will not allow it."

"Just hear me out, please." Hans waited, and the governor's expectant silence made him continue. "If someone kills the emperor, the dragons are trained to immediately attack the nearest village, right?"

"That's correct, it's like an extension of the dragon hive-mind - they attack anyone who threatens their alpha, or who they perceive as threatening their alpha. Actually killing their alpha would cause a massive retaliation. And that's why you will not be carrying out any assassinations anywhere near Kranzgrad."

"I realize that. But now, what if the emperor were to just die? As in, from an illness, or from an accident? Would it trigger the same response?"

The governor thought. "Well...I suppose Lord Haddock would not want Berk destroyed in the event of his peaceful death, especially since he would want to leave it to an heir. But simply waiting for him to die will not accomplish anything, unless you know how to force him to fall ill?"

"No, but...when I was in university, I went to a metallurgy demonstration, and they showed us a substance called blast powder."

"Blast powder?"

"Yes, just a small amount was enough to destroy a large box. All you do is touch fire to it, and it creates a massive blast - not unlike what a dragon could do. If we were to make enough blast powder, and leave it to explode without any other people nearby, it could successfully kill Lord Haddock, and with no immediate murderer, the dragons would not attack. It could work!"

But Waltheson was already shaking his head. "You don't know that for certain. What if they do make that connection, and come after us?"

"Oh, now you like 'what if' questions?"

"And even if you succeed, what then? What will happen to Carlhorse, to Berk? What will the dragons do without their leader to control them? What will other villages do without Lord Haddock there to stop them? Someone will try to fill his place, and war will erupt. You could leave us worse off than we were before!"

"You're right." Hans spoke with determination. "I don't know what will happen afterwards. Things could end up badly, like you warn, or they may end up for the better. But what I do know is that as long as Lord Haddock lives, he threatens my home and hundreds of other people's homes as well. I could not live contently knowing that that very contentment is at the whim of a twenty-year-old boy. And to be honest, I don't know how you can manage to do that."

The governor glared at him. "I do what is best for my people. And right now, they are being fed, housed, and clothed, with a bright future ahead. For that, I am more than willing to deal with Lord Haddock."

With a frustrated growl, Hans stormed away. "I give up! You are more stubborn than an infant! Go on, then, kneel to to your precious emperor for the rest of your life! But when he turns on you and feeds you to his reptiles, we will see who is right!" He marched down the grassy slope, away from the village.

* * *

><p>Hans spent the night sitting on a cliffside, looking to the east. The stars spun across the sky in their frozen dance, slowly dragging the waxing moon up with them. The waves crashed far below his feet as he rested his head on his knees. Dragons swooped by in the dark, lit by the moonlight. One landed nearby him, seemed to cock its head in intrigue, then stroll away inland. Hans' eyes kept watching the horizon. It faded to grey, then yellow. The moon was sitting at its zenith when the sun finally peeped up, making Hans squint against its light.<p>

"Somewhere over the water, huh?"

Hans turned around and saw Mach coming towards him.

"The governor got worried when you didn't return last night, he asked a few of us to help find you. Said you two had an argument?"

"Yes. Yes, I...became impatient with him." Hans sighed as Mach set next to him on the cool grass. "Mach, I've got to get home. As soon as humanly possible."

"I know, before they send a fleet after you."

"Not just that, I…" He looked across the water again. "I have something else, that requires my attention."

Mach nodded slowly, and Hans realized he was waiting for elaboration - elaboration he was not comfortable giving at the moment. Finally Mach prodded: "Is that what the argument was about?"

"In a way. I had a plan that would let me get home and stay there without worrying about Lord Haddock following me there in a year's time. I could free the entirety of Greater Berk, if I just had the chance."

"You mean killing him? You want to kill the emperor?"

"Yes, but with a method that would not make the dragons think someone killed him, so that they wouldn't attack us. And before you say anything, I know that the emperor's brought so much peace and goodness, at least according to Waltheson. Still, I just can't bear to think about what would happen if he flew into Kranzgrad."

Mach thought this over for a while. "You really love your home, don't you?"

"More than anything." Hans sighed as he summoned the memories. "We're not a large kingdom, but we command great respect in our region. We pride ourselves as a refuge: we take in the lost and the unwanted, and make them into something great. Artists, philosophers, great minds flock to our gates. My favorite spot in the whole city is the market square - bakers, florists, carpenters all together. The smells, the sounds of it! And you'll have painters sitting here and there, and sometimes someone from the university will come and deliver a lecture for people to hear. I sometimes just drift along for hours and take it all in, and I would…" He bit his lip. "I'm very glad I did, for I may never see it again."

Mach nodded again. "What exactly are you planning?"

All the abrupt subject changes kept putting him off, but he still answered. "Well, I was looking to create a large amount of blast powder - it's an explosive substance - seal it in a barrel, and have it go off when the emperor is close by. That way, no one person will be connected to it, and the dragons would not tear them or the island apart."

"Fight fire with fire? How poetic, perhaps it will become a saying one day." Mach glanced over. "What do we need for it?"

Hans looked up in surprise. "Wait, you mean...you will help me with this?"

"The emperor may be pretty popular around here, but I've always been wary of him. Let's just say you've opened up to the right person." With a smile, he continued. "Now, what do we need to make this blast powder?"

"Let's see, let's see…" Hans got to his feet, his face scrunched up as he tried to remember. "We need charcoal, sulfur, and niter, lots of all three."

"We can get charcoal easily. Sulfur and niter, Trader Johann probably sells them. He goes from island to island, buying and selling almost anything you can think of. He's coming into port today, we can meet him there!"

Both of them ran over the hills back to town.


	13. A Day in the Life of the Queen

Astrid awoke to a reptilian chirp. Sitting up in bed, she saw a Terrible Terror pattering over the covers towards her. A note was tied to its leg with thread.

"Hey," she rubbed her eyes, "you got something for me?"

She undid the knot and took the paper. The Terrible Terror gave a squawk, then turned and scurried away.

Shaking her head to clear it, Astrid unfolded the note and read:

_Astrid,_

_The situation near Yulrolan is more severe than I thought, and I will be here for a longer while. Don't worry though; I don't anticipate the situation getting any worse, as long as I deal with it now. Everything is under control._

_Unfortunately, I will miss Johann's visit to Berk, and that's why I'm writing this to you. I've become fascinated with the metallurgy and transmutation book, and I'd like to make some of the compounds it describes. To do so, I need supplies of sulfur, copper, mercury, and lead. Johann, I believe, sells these from his ship._

_Also, I'd appreciate it if you could get some extra leather. My flight suit was damaged today, and while I've managed to patch it for the moment, I'll need to do a more thorough job at home. _

_I will be very grateful if you can get these for me, and I should be back within the week. In the meantime, I leave Berk in your care. I can think of no one better to watch over things when I'm away. _

_Love, __Hiccup_

* * *

><p>"Did he say how much?" Johann nodded his head as Astrid ran through the list of items. His trade ship gently rocked beneath their feet.<p>

"Not exactly, but just remember I have to carry whatever you give me all the way back."

"Very strange, quite an unusual request…"

"Do you have these?"

"Oh yes, yes, of course I do!" Johann sharply nodded his head. "I mean, it's just rare for anyone to ask for these substances all at once. But here, I'll go and get them for you."

He turned and walked across the deck, and began rummaging through a chest. Astrid, meanwhile, took a look around. Items of all varieties were scattered every which way. She poked around a bit, searching for anything that she might consider appealing. As she walked from pile to pile, other potential customers quickly caught sight of her and moved away. No one breathed so much as a word of greeting; at most, they muttered a hasty "excuse me" as they slipped past. And always, their eyes were watching, wary.

Astrid tried her best to ignore them and pretend that all was well.

As she pulled out several large sheets of leather from underneath a stack of woven cloths, Johann came back to her. "Here we go. Five small ingots each of copper and lead in here," he held out one of three small sacks, "two jars of mercury, and this is all the sulfur I have left."

The bag of sulfur felt a little light. Johann must have seen the surprised expression on Astrid's face.

"I realize it's not very much, but I had a pair of customers in Carlhorse almost clear me out. I'm very lucky to have anything left for you!"

"Well, some is better than none." Astrid gave a small smile as she slung the three sacks over her shoulder. "Oh, and I wanted to buy some of this as well." She held up the leather.

"Okay, let's see, for the three bags and this…" She could see Johann's eyes work in a frenzy of calculation. "Ten coins?"

Astrid had a vague sense that what she was carrying was worth far more than that, but she didn't feel up to any kind of confrontation with Johann at the moment. She counted out the payment, and was about to leave when she paused.

"Oh! I almost forgot, I need new boots. Mine are starting to wear out on the soles."

"Clothing is below deck. I'll bring them up so that you can see them."

"Oh no, I'll just head down there myself. Keep an eye on these, could you?" Setting down her already purchased goods, Astrid clambered down into the ship's hold.

It took her a while to locate a pair of boots that fit, but eventually she found some that were comfortable and hardy. Just as she was approaching the steps that led back up to the deck, a voice sounded that she hadn't heard in a long time.

"Johann! Johann, where do you have the seeds? You usually have them right here."

Astrid bounded up the stairs and looked over. "Snotlout?!"

He turned around suddenly at his name. Seeing Astrid, his face hardened, and he turned and skulked back onto the docks.

"Snotlout, wait!" Forgetting her things, Astrid ran after him.

He kept ignoring her.

"Hey, hold on, Snotlout!" She jogged up until she stood right in his path.

Finding his way barred, he finally answered shortly. "What? What do you want?"

"Nothing, I just…I haven't seen you in a long time."

"Did it ever occur to you that it was on purpose?" With an annoyed huff, Snotlout tried to walk around Astrid. She blocked his path again.

"You've been avoiding me?" Even though she already knew the answer to the question.

"Astrid, we live on the same island. If you haven't seen me in five years, then there's a pretty good chance I was avoiding you." Once more he tried to go past her, and once more she cut him off.

"What's the matter with you?!" Astrid was upset now. "All I want to do is talk!"

"You know what? Fine. Let's talk." Snotlout eyeballed her with contempt. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Well…" She grasped for a topic. "How have you been? I tried asking the twins and Fishlegs, but apparently they haven't heard much from you either."

"I've been taking care of my mom. We moved to the other side of the mountain, and we're growing rye and cabbages to support ourselves." He laced his words with venom. "I'm all she has left, you know, since your boyfriend killed my dad."

Astrid closed her eyes at this blow, and swallowed hard. "Snotlout, listen, I'm so sorry about what happened-"

"That doesn't bring him back, does it?!" His raised voice began to draw onlookers, both excited and horrified to watch this exchange going on. "I don't want your pity, Astrid. Not when you're up there, loving on the same guy who ordered his dragons to tear my dad apart!"

"I tried to stop it!" Astrid was indignant at the accusations he had leveled against her. "I did what I could."

Snotlout didn't reply, only casting a disgusted look away.

"Don't take this out on me, please. I didn't want your dad hurt-"

"I don't care what you wanted, it doesn't change the fact that he's dead! Maybe if _you _had spoken up a bit more-"

"Will you stop being stupid? I did speak up, more than you did anyways! And besides, it was your dad who pushed him over the edge! Maybe, if your dad hadn't been provoking Hiccup, then maybe he'd be alive!"

Even as the words left her mouth, Astrid cringed at them.

"Mhm, yes, I forgot. Making fun of Hiccup now carries a death sentence. Thank you for your insight." Snotlout shoved his way past her. "And you wonder why I didn't want to talk to you."

"No, Snotlout, wait, please!" She grabbed his arm, and he tore it away.

"Just leave me alone, alright?!" His eyes burned with pain, and there was just the slightest quaver in his voice. "Go away, just go!"

"No, please, it's not what you think, I don't-"

"I don't care what you say. I don't care what you do." He turned his back to her. "In fact, for all it matters to me, go and complain to your boyfriend, tell him how rude I was! I'll be in my house, waiting for the roof to burst into flames, whenever you two are ready!"

Astrid gave up, and watched as he walked away, steaming. She shook her head and whispered the rest of her sentence:

"I don't want this."

* * *

><p>After regaining her composure, Astrid retrieved her purchases, handed over five coins for the boots, and carried the load home. The whole way back, Snotlout's words haunted her.<p>

"No, no," she muttered to herself, "I didn't do anything wrong. I did my best. I was the only one who didn't tease him-"

_A little harsh at times, maybe_

"-and I'm always trying to keep him calm. I'm still doing my best. He doesn't know what he's saying."

After five years of alternating between having only Hiccup's company and solitude, Astrid had mastered the art of self-conversation.

Finally reaching the hut, Astrid entered and walked up the stairs to Hiccup's room, which doubled as a workspace. In one corner stood a workbench, an anvil, and a forge, along with an assortment of tools. Beside the workbench sat a bookshelf, and beside that a desk and chair, the former cluttered with papers and books. At the opposite end of the room was Hiccup's bed and all his other personal belongings. The walls were plastered with designs, drawings, and doodles, covering up more wall space than was showing.

Astrid set the bags on the workbench and removed the substances from inside. Ten small ingots, five a brilliant metallic brown and five a dull grey. Two jars, filled with liquid silver. Several rough blocks of yellow, with a strange smell to them.

"Well, I got you what you wanted." She sighed. "What you want them for, I can't guess."

After also leaving the leather on the bench, Astrid returned to the chair to slip her new boots on. Setting the old pair aside, she then turned and glanced over the desktop.

Several ledgers were stacked up, and a charcoal pencil lay beside them. Taking the first book from the stack, Astrid opened it. Suddenly she glanced up at the door. Feeling self-conscious, she rose and quietly closed it.

Returning to sit before the book, she glanced down a list of debts. There were columns for names, islands, amounts, and due dates.

"Alright, let's see, let's see…" She scanned down the list. "Ah, here we go. Bertha, from Red Island. Let's bring that down a bit…"

With a few pencil strokes, Bertha's debt was cut in half, and her time to payment was extended by a week.

"Alright, who's next?"

For a long while, Astrid pored over the list, taking the utmost care when adjusting the numbers. Every line had to be calculated to match Hiccup's handwriting exactly. As she worked, she added up how much money she was shaving off - her deception was only complete once she had recompensed the imperial treasury, from her own funds of course. Nothing went amiss, so nothing was ever noticed.

As for any conflicts with Fishlegs' books - ultimately, the emperor's word was final. And after all, Astrid smirked, weren't these the emperor's words? Even if they were altered ever so slightly?

Eventually, she reached the end of the list, so she closed the ledger and sighed. She had given herself a pretty sum to sneak into the treasury, but she wasn't worried. After all, she had been doing this for a few years now. It was thankless work, she knew it all too well. But if it kept a few people from jail time, at least it made it easier to face the world.

With this relief lightening her heart, Astrid, feeling curious, reached for a nearby stack of papers and shuffled through them. As she did, she found a collection of glimpses into Hiccup's mind.

Here was a sketch of a Monstrous Nightmare. The proportions were marked and labeled with care.

Now a drawing of a flower bush, apparently done for pleasure. A few illegible lines of text scrawled along the edge, probably some quick note that needed to be taken down.

Here was a design for...a prosthetic leg? Curious. The drawing was old - he must have had the idea years ago, before he left the dragon nest. He must have wanted to use it to help people…

Shaking her head, Astrid moved it to the back, and immediately blushed. Here was a sketch of her, smiling up from the paper. A small heart was penciled in above her left ear. She bit her lip and chuckled. "Oh, you…"

The rest of the papers were similar, cycling between dragons, old designs, random drawings, and two more pictures of Astrid. Words and phrases were dotted here and there, many of them nonsensical to her but apparently meaningful to Hiccup.

Finally, she looked upon the sketch of the Monstrous Nightmare again, and she set the papers down. She was just about to leave when something caught her eye.

Moving the pile had exposed, half-buried underneath another mound of papers, a letter. No, it was THE letter. Stoick's letter. Astrid recognized it by its crumpled appearance. On one side was the name "Hiccup". Taking it and flipping it over, she saw that the letter was sealed.

"Five years…and you still haven't read it?"

Her fingers itched to open it, but she hesitated. She could get away with fixing numbers in the ledgers, but Hiccup would definitely notice that the seal was broken. And while she was sure he wouldn't do anything rash towards her, Astrid realized she didn't know what this letter would say. For all she knew, it could worsen his mood - the last thing the people of Greater Berk needed.

Finally, she slipped it back under the stack of papers.

Another day, she thought to herself. When he's ready.


	14. Tales from Kranzgrad

Measure. Grind. Pour. Repeat.

Measure. Grind. Pour. Repeat.

Hans and Mach, hunched over a table with barrels nearby, had been going through this process for three days now. Mach's hut was full of charcoal, niter, and sulfur, this last giving off a faint stench. Luckily, Mach lived alone, far from the village center, which was remarkably convenient for their work. Still, the space was darkened with shutters, which did well to ward off any remaining would-be peepers.

Hans had been on Carlhorse for eleven days, and he hoped that number would not climb much higher. As he pulverized the three ingredients using only mortar and pestle, Kranzgrad swam ever before his sight. The paved streets, where nary a blade of grass grew between the stones; the brass horns that heralded the sunrise each morning; the sweet voices of his friends, trying to drag him away from his studies to attend the new drama which had just opened in the theater - friends, some of which now lay at the bottom of the sea; all echoed in his mind. And above all, flitting in and out of his vision, came twirling, dancing, singing…

"Are you alright?"

Hans broke out of his stupor. "Yes, yes I'm fine. Why?"

"I dunno, you just looked...off." Mach kept working the pestle as he spoke. "Were you thinking about something?"

"Yes, I was just remembering...home."

Mach smiled. "You are certainly devoted to your kingdom, and it sounds like a wonderful place. But are you sure there isn't anything else drawing you back? Nothing else that adds urgency to your thoughts? Or maybe, no one?"

"Mach," Hans put down his bowl. "Please. I can't bear to think of her."

"Oh, a 'her'?" He also paused his task.

Hans swallowed, and struggled to speak. "Three years ago, I went to purchase a chair from the carpenter. The shop I usually went to was very full, though, so I went down the street a ways to another my friend told me about. And there, I met Arthenia.

"She worked with her father as a woodworker, so that she could one day take on the business as her own. And the moment I entered the store, and I saw her rich brown eyes…" Hans gave a soft laugh. "I'm sorry, you don't want to hear this story. We have business to attend to-"

"No, please. I believe we could use a rest from preparing for the emperor's death."

Hans nodded, and continued. "As soon as I had set eyes on her, I was hopeless. I ended up browsing through every item they had in the store, all the while joyous at merely being in her presence. She...the way she negotiates with customers, she has the shrewdness of a master merchant, and all the time the demeanor of a saint. She's soft-spoken, and yet confident and cunning. Never had I met such a mind, and such a heart..

"That evening, I had no sleep, all the time thinking of Arthenia, her gentle smile and flowing brown locks. The next morning, I broke the leg from one of my other chairs - for I could never damage her handiwork - and immediately returned to her.

"Of course she at once set to work with the repair, so again I browsed through their wares. I was just stroking the beak of an eagle, carved of pine, when she suddenly placed her hand on mine and said, 'Your chair is mended, more sturdy than it was before.'

"I was desperate to not so soon leave her company, so I quickly asked her, 'This eagle, is it your work or your father's?'

"'It is mine,' she said.

"'It must cost a great deal'.

"'It does. But still, it is mine to give.' And as she handed it to me, she looked into my eyes, and I saw such a warm tenderness. And she gave the slightest smile, before adding, 'May I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, too?'

"Imagine my joy, Mach!" Hans grinned with a giddy smile. "She had noticed me, and wished to see me again! From there, our love grew, and…" He sniffed, choking through his smile, "...she agreed for us to be wed."

"Oh, that is wonderful!" Mach had always enjoyed such tales. "How long have you been married?"

At this, the smile slowly faded. "We haven't."

"...oh."

"Our preparations ran long, and so we decided to postpone until I came back from my journey. That is why I must return home. I…" He swallowed. "I have someone waiting for me."

"But why did you not mention her before? Why did you not tell your story to the governor?"

"Because I fear I may never see her again." Hans began to bite his lower lip, and his eyes grew glossy. "If I were to lose any chance of seeing Kranzgrad again, it would fill me with eternal regret. But I would rather face exile across the furthest oceans than even think about being severed from dear Arthenia. To have known such an angel, and then lose her, leaving her forever waiting…" He choked again. "Just the thought fills me with despair. And to speak of her is to remind me of that terrible plight which bears down on me."

Mach said nothing, but rested his hand on Hans' back as the man gave a sob. His eyes had gone wet. They passed a few minutes this way, until he finally looked up again, sniffing.

"But the moment we strike, I shall again be free to return to Kranzgrad, to Arthenia. And no longer will I worry about either of them facing the wrath of Lord Haddock." He took up his mortar and pestle again. "Let us press on."

And now his effort was renewed. Having finally shared his worries with another, he worked thrice as quickly as he had before.

* * *

><p>As time wore on, and the day grew late, Hans peered into one of the barrels.<p>

"We're almost out of water," he declared. "I'll go grab a bucketful. If you run out, don't keep going! We need to keep the powder damp as we make it, or it could spark."

"I know, I know." Mach didn't look up as Hans grabbed a large wooden bucket and went out the door.

The water well sat at the very opposite end of the village, and Hans now realized that the location of Mach's hut was not fully convenient. This opinion only solidified itself in his head when, after filling the bucket and thus worsening his burden, he realized the return journey was uphill.

As he neared the end of the long trek, he was proud to see that he had kept the water from sloshing out of the bucket - or, at least, most of it. Drawing close to Mach's home, though, he heard raised voices.

"-expect me to believe that this is all just you dabbling?!" It was the governor's voice.

Hans set down the pail and crept closer to the door, listening. Mach answered:

"Yes. I'm just interested to see what I can make."

"You seem to be spending an awful amount of money on your 'dabbling'."

"I've just become very, very interested in it."

Hans flinched. Mach was a good man, but as Hans listened to him try to cover their operation, he knew he would never be an actor.

"I see." Governor Waltheson had also seen straight through the facade. "Then tell me what this is, that you're making?"

No answer.

"It wouldn't be in any way connected to the blast powder that Mr. Hermann mentioned to me a few nights ago?"

"No! No, not at all, it's…" he sniffed. "It's sand."

"Sand?"

Hans buried his face in his hands.

"Yes. The beach is running out of sand, and I don't want that to happen. The beach will be a very dull place without sand. Especially for the children."

Fearing that the situation would only worsen, Hans finally came through the door.

"Mach, it's okay." He watched as they both turned to face him. "Waltheson, I'm sorry that I had to go behind your back, but you would never have agreed to let us do this otherwise."

"No, I wouldn't. And I don't." He rested his hands on his hips, and gestured as he spoke. "I should have had you arrested and handed over to Lord Haddock the moment you even mentioned killing him. Give me one good reason why I should not do it now, to both of you!"

Hans saw Mach pale at the prospect of being brought before the throne on Berk.

"Governor," Hans came between the two, "please hear me out. If, after I speak, you still cannot agree with my point of view, then I will face whatever end. But do not hand over Mach. He does not deserve death."

"Mr. Hermann, you are in no position to negotiate-"

"If you do condemn him," Hans interrupted, "as we all know that under the Berkian Code of Law that he would be sentenced according to Lord Haddock's mercy, which would surely kill him - if you do condemn him, I will name you."

Now Governor Waltheson was silent.

"Even as I face the dragon fire, I will tell about how this was your conspiracy, and that you blamed Mach in order to keep yourself from death."

"You wouldn't."

Hans gave him a challenging look.

"He would not believe it!"

"Wouldn't he? I mean, think about it: we are dealing with a rare substance, one used for show more than war. A shepherd would know nothing of such intricacies, especially its manufacture. It would take a learned man to make it. A learned man...such as yourself."

Waltheson was livid. "I invited you into my house, took you in-"

"As has Mach. I do not want to threaten you, Governor, but I simply wish to see no harm come to a good man." He looked Mach. "Promise me, please."

A glare at Mach. "Fine. You're off the hook. As for your own fate," he crossed his arms, "you have yet to convince me to not send a Terrible Terror off to Berk at once, asking Lord Haddock to come and dispatch a prisoner."

Hans took a moment to compose his thoughts. "Waltheson, I know you feel indebted to him-"

"As should you! He spared you, and you thank him by pursuing his death?"

"He did not spare me!" Hans grew annoyed by the governor's obstinance. "I escaped! If I had not been lucky, he would have killed me too! If anything, he spared me by accident!"

"And why must you resort to such extreme measures? When you were first unhappy, I advised you to go before the emperor, yet you made no effort to do so."

"Because what would I say? 'Please don't attack my home, it would make me sad'? How would that accomplish anything?"

"I think you have the wrong image of Lord Haddock-"

"Do I? I think, after watching him destroy my ship and kill half my crew, and after seeing the fear he inspires in people - did you not see how Mach reacted at the mere thought of facing the emperor? After all that, I believe I have a very fair image of him. He is no better than even Brunthor II, and I will NOT let that-"

"Who?"

Hans paused. "Brunthor II, the King of Blood?. Have you not heard of him?" He sighed as he came to his realization. "Of course you haven't, no wonder you think…"

"A distant king of Kranzgrad, I assume?"

"Yes, from several hundred years ago." Hans sighed again, and shook his head. "I'm sorry, everyone grows up hearing this story, and even outside our kingdom, it's a popular tale, so I had assumed you had heard it as well.

"See, in the Year of our Lord 865, Brunthor II assumed the throne. He was a fair monarch at first, and for several years we knew peace. But all the time he gathered his strength, and had very little tolerance for any criticism against his rule.

"As time grew on, he began to yearn for grander titles. And so, he called upon the people for a large standing army, and sought to expand the reach of Kranzgrad to the east and south. Not only did this quickly turn our allies against us, but his relentless press for more land and thus more soldiers drew our city thin. More men wielded swords than did pitchforks, and soon the harvest came short.

"The grand years of his early reign disappeared, and his greed had plunged us into war and famine. His advisers pleaded for relief, but he gave none, and silenced anyone who tried to publicly argue him. One account tells of an adviser, appointed in the morning and cast from the castle by nightfall.

"Brunthor II cared not how many died in his search for glory. He became so livid at his detractors that he began having them hung publicly in the city squares for the crows to feast on. Some said a demon had entered the king, or that Satan himself whispered in his ear at night.

"Finally, a group of minds at the royal university orchestrated a grand movement to remove the king, and one night as he slept his foul heart was pierced by two arrows. The crown was quickly passed to a new heir, by merit of his wisdom and mildness, and the next day the first Grand Council was convened, to ensure the dark days of Brunthor did not return.

"That is why I am afraid," Hans concluded. "Brunthor began his reign much as Lord Haddock has: full of hope, and with promises of riches. But he became drunk with his power, and led us to ruin. I tell you, the Emperor of Berk will only lead you to the same fate."

He waited for some kind of response from Waltheson, and received none.

"Already he holds all the archipelago in a state of fear, and if he had any intention of limiting his power, he would have done so already. That's why negotiation is futile, and why I plan to end his life. Such a man, one who kills without reason, cannot be reasoned with."

With that, he picked up his mortar and pestle from the table. "Now if you do not wish to aid me, I understand. But all I ask of you is to at least not hinder me."

The governor's face was deep in contemplation, and Hans shivered as the specter of his own execution loomed before him. He rolled the pestle back and forth in his hand, hoping against hope.

"Governor, if I can add something…" Mach tried to re-enter the conversation. "He has someone back home-"

"No," Hans tried to stop him. "Please, not right now."

"He has a fiance!" Mach kept going anyways. "If you hand over Hans, you not only doom us to Lord Haddock's continued rule, but you doom a pure love!"

"I'm less concerned with a romance," Waltheson replied, still deep in thought, "than the well-being of my people." He looked up. "You must understand, I owe the emperor so much…"

"Please," Hans begged.

More silence. "But your tale has chilled me. As I said, I place the well-being of my village above all else., and so I yield to Lord Haddock. And yet, despite the loyalty I pledge to him, and the words I utter on his behalf...I do not love him."

Hans' heart leapt into his throat.

"Every visit he makes to Carlhorse, I am afraid. Afraid of what he may think, what he may say, what I may say. He's given us so much, and I never speak ill of him...because I know he can take it away. I am afraid, above all, for my people. Perhaps that fear has kept me focused only on immediacy, without regard for consequences in the future. But I still fear what may befall us in Lord Haddock's absence..."

"Without him, you will be free! And," Hans grew excited, "if we succeed, and I can return to Kranzgrad, we will make a lasting friendship between our peoples. We will not be conqueror over subject, but equal beside equal! The future can still be bright, dear Governor. Your people can know even better times without Lord Haddock, but first you must choose. Will you join us?"

Waltheson bit his lip, and looked down.

"What is your plan?"

* * *

><p>"Stand back."<p>

Hans swept his arm out, making the other two men retreat a few steps. In his other hand he held a metal rod, heated in the fireplace until it glowed. A small pile of blast powder sat on Mach's table, about the width of his thumb.

Now he slowly brought the heated end of the metal down upon the powder. With a FROFF it flashed into flame and smoke. Hans recoiled.

"Good gods!" The governor cried out as he waved his hands, trying to clear the clouds from the room.

"It is very powerful," Hans reiterated. He lay the metal upon the table. "If we have some rope to burn, we can set a delay on its ignition, and thus get away from it in time."

"We've been working all day!" Mach interjected. "For three days, in fact. Look." He opened the lid to a barrel which came up to his waist. Leaning over, Hans and the governor could see that it was filled to the top with the powder.

"We have four others filled," Hans said. "And we're working on the sixth right now."

"But even if no one is seen killing him," the governor cut in, "the emperor will be on the island, so won't the dragons still attack us?"

"Ah, but that's where the rest of my plan comes in. He won't be on the island. We will invite him here - this is where you can help us, if you're willing, you can invite him for us - and we will say that Carlhorse wishes to pay a large portion of its debt. And since he won't be able to carry it home on dragonback, he's going to bring a ship.

"The day he arrives, I will be out fishing in the harbor, with the blast powder in the boat with me. Mach will be by the shore, watching the emperor's ship, while I move my boat to be directly beside it. When Lord Haddock is on board and below deck, Mach will signal me. Then I light the rope, and swim to shore. I will be out of range once it catches.

"When it does, it should be enough to punch through the hull, along a very large area, and hopefully the emperor will be killed in the blast. But even if he isn't, he will be unable to reach his dragon in time, and sink into the ocean. The dragons will not understand what caused his death, and so Carlhorse is saved."

Waltheson slowly nodded as he listened. "It seems a fair plan." Glancing out the window at the darkening sky, he suddenly turned. "Sorry, I have to go and prepare supper for Peter. But Mr. Hermann," he added one last point, "I will send for Lord Haddock at once, asking him to bring his grandest ship. He would probably be here by the day after tomorrow."

"Thank you!" Hans was relieved to finally have Waltheson on his side. "And do not worry, I promise that I will not leave Carlhorse until everything is in order, until everything is stable and right again."

With a thin smiling nod back, the governor left for home.


	15. Potions and Plants

As Astrid sat underneath the shade of the trees just outside Berk, reading a distant tale about bold heroes from across the sea, a chorus of shouts rose from the village, followed by the slamming of doors.

Hiccup was home.

She turned around and, sure enough, Toothless was banking wide above the buildings, with a host of other dragons following him and Hiccup on his back. She stood and waved her arms over her head.

"Hey! Hiccup, hey!"

He circled above and looked down, hearing her. After giving a wave, he then circled around more time, until he was heading straight towards her. Then he shifted Toothless' fin to glide, then leapt off the saddle.

Astrid scoffed in amusement. Hiccup was always showing off, as he did now as he tucked into a ball and then stretched his limbs out. A pair of leather pseudo-wings appeared, and led from either of his wrists to his ankles. He hit a button on his chest, and a small fin popped up on his back, effectively gifting him the ability to soar. While he couldn't fly on his own, he could certainly glide a long ways - making him even more dragon-like, striking awe into the villagers. For he was the only man on the archipelago to have tasted flight, not only on the backs of dragons but also by his own devices, and thus he had elevated himself closer to the status of a legend.

Of course, such theatrics worked poorly on Astrid, who viewed the flight suit as only another way for Hiccup to get up to antics.

"Always have to have your thrills," she muttered as he approached the ground.

He tried to put one foot down to make contact, tripped from the speed, and with a yell tumbled forward, completing a somersault before landing on his stomach.

"Well you can fly like a dragon," she laughed as she went to help him up, "but you can't land like one!"

Hiccup glared up at her, and with a snort jumped back to his feet. He brushed himself clean, all the time looking back at the village, grumbling. "Hope no one saw…"

Astrid's smile disappeared, and she realized he was in a bad mood, and his humiliation probably hadn't helped it. "Hey," she got his attention, "don't worry, nobody was outside." His face was impossible to calculate at the moment, and she added: "And...I'm sorry I made fun of you, where people might have seen."

He looked into her eyes, and finally a thin smile appeared. "Nah, it's fine. I'm sorry, I've had a lot on my mind. But it's good to be back." He darted forward and gave her a peck on the lips, before stooping to stuff his right wing into a pocket on his pant leg. On his left wing, Astrid could see that there was a large patch, the dark green standing out against the brown.

"That where you got hit?"

"Huh? Yeah." He began tucking that side in as well just as Toothless landed nearby. "Did you get the leather?"

"It's back home." Astrid watched as he finished resetting his suit, winding up the spring coil below his chest that made his back fin retract. Again, she noticed the dark lines on his face. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, just...a lot of things happened the past few days. I need some time to cool down."

Toothless could sense his distress, and lovingly brushed up beside him. This finally brought an earnest grin to Hiccup's face, and he took the dragon's head in both of his hands to face him.

"You should have seen Toothless though, he did great! Yeah, you did a great job bud. Never seen you fly so fast before!"

The Night Fury wriggled in delight, and began eagerly lapping at Hiccup's face. He yelled as Toothless relentlessly continued, and Astrid couldn't help a giggle as she watched.

"Gyaaaaah, no, no, stop it!" Finally Toothless stepped back, and Hiccup began flinging the dragon saliva off of himself in disgust. He took a sidelong glance at Astrid, who was trying to repress her laughter, and with a sly look flicked some onto her. "Very funny, I know, I…"

He suddenly paused, and rubbed his fingers together, feeling the slimy saliva. Dawning realization came over his face.

"That's it, that's what I need! Toothless, you're a genius!" Turning to Astrid, his words came breathlessly. "Did you see Trader Johann? Did you get the stuff I asked for?"

"Yeah, it's all back home."

"Great! Come on, bud." He suddenly hopped atop Toothless. "And work up a good spit on the way over."

* * *

><p>Slightly irked at being left behind in his excitement, Astrid ended up jogging back to their hut, book in hand. Opening the door to the main room, she didn't find Hiccup there. The door to his room was open, though, and she heard a clattering from inside.<p>

"Can I come up?" He didn't like being disturbed without notice.

"Yeah, yeah, come up, quickly! You might just see history in the making!"

Now thoroughly intrigued, she left her book on one of the seats and climbed up the stairs. Edging his door open, she saw Hiccup hunched over his workbench. One hand, half covered with his leather gauntlet, held the transmutation book open. The other was jotting down notes on a piece of paper. The sulfur lay nearby, several pieces already ground into dust in a small bowl. And in a larger bowl...

"Did Toothless...spit in that bowl?"

He answered without turning around. "Night Fury saliva has healing properties. It may just be what I'm looking for."

"But I use that bowl! It's disgusting!" Looking around, though, she saw Toothless coming up to her, his eyes big and mournful. He warbled what she supposed was an apology. Her heart melted, and she held out her hand for him to come near. "No offense, of course. I'm just not used to it."

"I can get a new bowl for you, if you'd like." Again, he didn't look up.

Astrid didn't understand. "What are you even doing with it?"

At this Hiccup finally turned around. He looked into her eyes with a wide look, one she couldn't quite identify. "The Waters of Life."

"Okay...and those are?"

"Look, it's described here." He motioned her over and pointed in the book. "The Waters of Life, one of the greatest goals of the ancient metallurgists. It's a drink that keeps you young forever. No one's made it before, but I think Night Fury saliva might be the base ingredient that everyone else has been missing. I might just pull this off!"

"A potion of immortality?" Astrid shook her head. "Hiccup, that's just a fairy tale! No one can live forever."

"You only say that because nobody has lived forever. People said that no one could ride a dragon." He motioned Toothless over and stroked his head. "As you can see, I don't really listen to what people say anymore."

"No, it's...it's impossible."

He smirked. "Astrid, how many impossible things have you seen over the past five years? You saw the dragons tamed by human hands. You saw us reach peace with the Outcasts and the Berserkers - well, with the Berserkers." His voice slowly started to become bitter, and he looked off into the distance. "The Outcasts, you saw them finally destroyed, not a single house standing, for killing my dad. Everyone thought defeating them was impossible, didn't they?! And, you saw the village screw-up, the one that everyone hated and despised, the one everyone thought would never be chief, become the strongest, most respected leader Berk has ever seen, that the world has ever seen! I'm tired of the word 'impossible'!"

Astrid stepped back in fear as he vented. Finally he stopped to catch his breath.

"I don't believe in 'impossible' anymore. And I will show everyone exactly how I feel about it, when when I do the most impossible thing." He waved his notes at her. "I will place myself above death."

And he looked down at his papers, and Astrid finally recognized, with a pang of horror, the look on his face.

Hunger.

* * *

><p>She spent the next few hours downstairs, not wanting to face him again. Her book gave her escape enough. Eighty pages later, she was dimly aware of him coming downstairs and out the door. It was twenty pages later when he returned.<p>

"Hey, Astrid?"

His voice had its natural soft sound again, and she looked up. "Yeah?"

He walked towards her, one hand behind his back, the other running its fingers through his hair. "I, uh…I'm sorry about snapping at you. Like I said, I had a rough week," he shook his head, "but that's no excuse for me to yell at you like that. I'm sorry."

Astrid had to hold back a laugh. Here was the man who could strike fear into hundreds with just a harsh glance, now asking for her forgiveness with puppy dog eyes.

"It's all right," she soothed him. "Like you said, you're under a lot of pressure. I understand."

At this he bit his lip, and slowly brought his hidden hand around to his front. His fingers cradled a small bundle of flowers.

Now she really did laugh. "You are hopeless, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock!"

"I got them from your favorite field."

"Where I practice my archery?"

"That's the one! I could have brought you a bunch of broken arrows, but I figured this would be a bit more...traditional."

"Mhm." She stood up and came to him, and gave him a hug and a kiss. "You're a sweetheart."

They stood gazing into each other's eyes for a long time, until Hiccup broke the silence.

"So, are you going to find a place for these, or is being a vase for the rest of my life part of your terms of forgiveness?"

This prompted yet another laugh from Astrid, and she found a small jar for them. Hiccup tried to find a good place for it.

"Hm, it's a little big for the table…" He looked around. "But if it's in the window, how will it look against the light?"

"Oh, it'll be fine anywhere! Just pick a spot!"

After he seemed to make up his mind - at least, for a few minutes - Astrid grabbed him. "Now, before you go back up to your room…" She made him sit down beside her on the seats. "What's on your mind? What happened in Yulrolan?"

Hiccup sighed. "Oh boy, well...it was a conflict alright. And...I don't even know where to begin." He took a deep breath. "There are other dragon riders out there."

Astrid had been expecting to hear a lot of things, but this had not been high on her list. "What?"

"Yeah, there...there were these two. One had this bright blue-green costume, with these long horns all over. She was riding a Stormcutter, and controlling this Bewilderbeast. And the other...he had long black hair, carried this spear. I think it was...Da-something, I can't remember his name. He had _armored _dragons, and his own Bewilderbeast. But other than that, he had a human army, and I think he was trying to build his own empire. I saw, he was...cruel, to the dragons.

"Anyway, these two had been constantly attacking each other for a while, it seems. By the time I managed to get around to a few nests and gather my own dragons, they had started an all-out war over this ice cave island."

Astrid was engrossed by the tale. "I can't believe it, I thought only you could control the dragons!"

"So did I! And I just…" He ran his fingers through his hair, and a pale look of anxiety crossed his face. "It makes me worry."

There was quiet, before Astrid pressed forward. "What happened to the two other riders?"

"The green rider was killed by the man with the spear. I only found out afterwards she was a woman. But she was killed, and I took down the other guy."

Astrid didn't want to imagine what "took down" looked like.

"I placed the two Bewilderbeasts into new nests, and I had the armored dragons freed. The spearman's soldiers that were left surrendered to me, and I sent them off to a few different islands."

"Well, you don't have to worry about them anymore, at least."

"But what if there are more?" Hiccup stood now. "Who knows if there's a whole army of dragon riders somewhere out there? What if I'm not strong enough-?"

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Hiccup turned around sharply; he must have thought that it was that very army he had just mentioned, come to bring him his doom. Instead, as he opened the door, he found Fishlegs.

"Oh, what is it?! I just got back, I'm trying to unwind."

Astrid didn't listen to the rest of the conversation, instead thinking about what Hiccup had said. Other riders? So he _wasn't _the only one to have cracked the art of dragon training. She wondered…

"Ugh!"

Hiccup slammed the door, and came over, rubbing his head.

"What happened?"

"Nothing. Carlhorse wants to pay part of their debt."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"No, but they want me to sail there in person to collect it. They probably want to have some kind of ceremony, gain my favor." He snorted.

"Isn't that Waltheson, who's the governor there? He seems nice enough, at least from what you've told me of him."

"Yeah, he's a good governor, never gives me any trouble. Plus, Carlhorse is a valuable trading partner. If they want to treat me to something..." He sighed. "I guess I should go. Make them happy. But not until tomorrow, I need _one _night in my own bed. Sorry that I have to go off again so quickly."

"Nah, it's alright." Astrid began to dread another week of solitude, however, and her mind began to work. "You know, if you're not going to be doing a lot of real business, do you think I could come over with you?"

Hiccup looked over, surprised. He didn't say anything at first, but his face slowly brightened. "Yeah...yeah, that'd be great! I could show you around the empire a bit, there's some fantastic stuff out there. Just have to find a ship that has a room for each of us - can't take Toothless, he can't carry everything back."

"Of course." She smiled, and rose to meet him. "I guess we should get ready?"

* * *

><p>The next day they set out in a large ship, with enough room for two separate quarters and a large cargo hold for the levy. Of course, Toothless tagged along, as well as scores of dragons that came and went at will. The human crew did their best to remain invisible as Hiccup, Astrid, and Toothless strolled along the deck, watching the waves go by.<p>

"Oh!" Hiccup called out suddenly to the seamen. "Take us south a bit, let's swing by Haddock Island."

"Wow, really?"

"What?" Hiccup grinned as he saw Astrid's smug face.

"Haddock Island? You seriously named an island after yourself?"

"Oh, I didn't name it. There's a small village there, I found them a few years ago. And, get this, you thought our dragon problem in Berk was bad? These people had two nests, on either side of them, and the dragons would have territory wars over the island. I finally managed to relocate both nests, and well...the village was very, very grateful."

"Mhm, I can see that from their name."

"Oh, just you wait." Hiccup grinned. "It's one of my favorite places in the empire. We won't stay long, just want to show you."

Once the island was in sight, Hiccup adorned himself with a large fur cloak, that he saved for ceremonial occasions. He saddled up on Toothless, with Astrid sitting behind him, and all three flew over together.

"They really like theatrics," Hiccup explained. "Just follow my lead."

The flight was fairly short, and they soon landed at the edge of the village. Looking in, Astrid could see it was rather run-down, different from the glory of Berk.

"Hello!" Hiccup called out. "Lord Haddock returns to you!"

Heads and faces appeared, all with smiles. People popped out of their houses at the news, rushing to see Hiccup. As the crowd drew near, however, Astrid was astonished to see them kneel upon the ground at Hiccup's feet. They cast their eyes down in reverence.

"My lord, my lord!" One of the villagers came up through the mass, and from his age and dress Astrid figured he must have been their chief. "The Lord of the Dragons, savior of our island, returns to our humble home, and brings great joy upon this day!" And he, too, knelt upon the ground, and taking Hiccup's hand kissed it.

Hiccup glanced to Astrid, showing his amusement. She gave a small forced smile in return.

"And who is this?" The chief kept his head hunched down as he came up to her, his eyes twinkling with an eagerness to please.

Astrid had to take a second to find the words. "I'm Astrid Hofferson." She offered him a handshake.

"The Queen of Berk," Hiccup added. "And Empress Consort."

"Oh, my lady!" Astrid was disconcerted as the chief seized her hand and kissed her fingers. "My apologies for not realizing it sooner, forgive me!"

"No no, that's…" she tore her hand away. "That's alright."

She felt twisted up inside, like she had been thrust before an audience with nothing to perform. The villagers bowed before her, and the sight was sickening. But perhaps even more disturbing was Hiccup.

He seemed to be enjoying it too much.


	16. Blast Powder

The fresh breath of morning had already brightened the skies when Mach slipped down to the harbor behind Hans. It had been two days since the response had come in from Lord Haddock, and his ship was due in today.

The night before, under the cover of darkness, the two had rolled the six barrels of powder to the water's edge. Mach had a large boat that he used for fishing, whenever he had a chance to get away from the flocks, so they enlisted it for their scheme. The powder had been heavy; even now in the sunlight, Mach could see the hull bobbed dangerously low in the water, the stern especially so. As Hans climbed in, it sank even lower, and the ocean now lapped only a couple of inches from the gunwale.

But it still floated.

"You got everything?" Mach asked as Hans sat.

"Yes, I believe so." Taking a small wooden box from underneath the thwart he sat upon, he opened it and checked inside. Amid the hooks, line, and bait, he pulled out a knife and a piece of flint. He also pulled out a small bundle of cloth, filled with wood shavings and crumpled papers. "Alright, I have these. The wood is down by my feet, I can see it."

Mach shook his head sadly. "It's sad, to think that you'll be building a fire right in the middle of my boat."

"The fire will not be the worst thing to happen to it, I'm afraid." Hans squinted up into the sunlight as he put away the tackle box again. "But it will be a worthy sacrifice. You will be remembered, my dear friend, as a hero!"

Mach nodded, and muttered something in agreement, but in his heart he began to feel apprehension. He had long wished to fight against the emperor; now that the time came to actually execute their plan, though, a pang of fear gripped him. It must have shown, because Hans spoke again.

"Stay strong Mach. Don't be afraid. Do you remember the signal?"

"Yeah, yeah I remember."

"Good! As soon as you give it, I'll light the rope," he pointed to a braid of six ropes, all intertwined as they sprouted from the barrels, "and swim to shore. If all goes well, we will be successful."

"_If_ all goes well?"

Hans sighed. "We just have to do the best we can. God willing, our best will be good enough."

Mach said nothing, instead glancing at the horizon. As he scanned it, he saw a shape in the distance.

"Look…" He pointed, and Hans craned his neck. "A large ship, it must be the emperor!"

"Then we don't have a moment to lose!" With this, he grabbed the dock and shoved himself off, before taking a pair of oars from the bottom boards and turning himself around to face the open sea. "Farewell Mach! May we see each other once more by the night's end."

Mach watched as Hans rowed away, before he himself returned to the main village.

"Come on, everyone!" Governor Waltheson was just shouting orders as Mach came up. "Where's the Berkian flag? Ah, here, you two hold it when he comes up. Oh, Mach!"

He motioned him over, and Mach obliged, leaning in closely as the governor whispered in his ear.

"Is everything going alright? Any trouble?"

"None at all. Hans is heading out to the bay now. Just don't act suspicious."

With this, Mach set to wandering about the village common, ever watching the emperor's ship grow nearer. It was large, making even the trade craft look small, and so could not dock at the harbor. Instead, a ways out into the ocean, it dropped anchor and furled its sails. Around it, dragons swooped and perched like bees around a hive.

It was only a short while before a Night Fury could be seen taking off into the air in their direction.

* * *

><p>Hans kept rowing further and further to sea. He leaned forward and back, forcing the oars to stroke the water, the rhythm quickly establishing itself. Soon the ship of the emperor came up, towering over his head, then passing by. The bow cleaved the water, sending out waves that made Hans' boat rock, and he cursed as the sea splashed over the edge.<p>

"Oh no, no no!" He quickly scrambled to save the wood and tackle box from the water, but a few slabs of wood were still wet. Hans growled in his frustration, and set them on one of the barrels to hopefully dry.

He looked up at the accursed craft, and at its stern he saw Lord Haddock, wearing a brown fur cloak that had its hood down. His back was turned to Hans, and he was watching the island draw close. But there was someone else...a young woman, with her blond hair in a braid, probably some advisor. He couldn't see any more detail from such a distance, save that they seemed to be conversing as they looked towards their destination. Upon seeing the emperor in person, a rush of bitter emotions flushed over Hans, and he took up the oars again. The wake of the ship left foam on the ocean, and his rowing churned its surface.

Soon, the seamen hoisted the sails, and sent an anchor plummeting to the sea bed. Hans also stopped, at what he felt to be a very non-suspicious distance. Far off, he could see the emperor turn around. Apparently he noticed Hans, because he raised his hand in greeting. The woman did the same.

Hans returned the gesture with a stiff hand, and quickly looked down to his nets. With a huff, he cast them into the sea. They would hopefully provide enough cover to make him appear to be a legitimate fisherman.

With that done, he turned around and took up his pole, to fish on the other side. He opened the tackle box, and saw the steel blade lying on top. It startled him - or rather, his reflection did.

"My God…"

Taking it with the slightest tremble, his other hand traced along his chin. With all of his worrying over the past two weeks about Kranzgrad and the emperor, he had neglected to monitor his personal appearance. Now he beheld himself: from ear to ear across his chin, a layer of hair had appeared, and now that he noticed it it began to itch. His cheekbones also stood out more, and realized he had lost weight - and now that he thought back, he had been skipping meals in his fervor. But most jarring were his eyes, grim and desperate. They were dark circles, aflame with a light that seemed on the edge of flickering into death.

"Oh my God…" he choked out. He stowed the blade away, and then shut the box entirely. For a long time he stared over the water, his fishing pole loose in his hands, unbaited.

* * *

><p>Morning turned to afternoon, and soon the sun's fiery disk sank behind the emperor's ship. The dying twilight swept over the sky, and still the ceremonies continued even as the stars peeped out.<p>

Mach sat in the Great Hall, where the feast was being held. The scents of chicken and fish, even now cooking over the fires, made to seduce his heart and stomach. But such temptation was rebuffed by his concentration. The governor sat with Lord Haddock and Lady Hofferson at a separate table, eating in silence, with Mach's undying attention given to their surveillance.

Finally, a few words were exchanged. Mach could just barely cut through the other conversations flying through the air, trying to filter out their words.

"Have you eaten to your content?" This was Waltheson.

Lord Haddock stretched, putting his hands behind his head. "Yeah, everything was great. You guys did great."

"It was wonderful," Lady Hofferson agreed. "Thank you."

"I was kinda hoping, though, that we could start getting this wrapped up?" Lord Haddock stood from the table now, and clapped his hands together. "Your payment, is it ready?"

"Yes, of course my lord." A slight quiver in Waltheson's voice. "I was hoping to verify with you, however, exactly how much we owe you, after this shall be paid?"

"Oh, er…" The emperor screwed up his face in concentration. "Augh, can't remember off the top of my head. Here, Astrid, do you remember Carlhorse's account?" Her eyes looked to the ceiling as she tried to recall, but she shook her head. "Well, don't worry, Governor. Whatever you have in your books is probably right. I'll let you know otherwise."

"I appreciate your confidence, my lord, but for the sake of our rapid recovery, I should be very grateful to correct any errors."

"Alright, alright. I have my ledgers back on the ship, I'll fly over and get them."

Mach's heart flipped as he heard this. The governor agreed to wait, and the emperor came around behind Lady Hofferson

"I'll be right back," he said. "Do you want me to just leave you here to enjoy the feast, until we're done loading everything up?"

"Yeah, you go take care of what you need to do. I'll be fine here."

Mach just barely heard this last part. He took one final gulp from his cup, and then went out the door. He walked, then jogged down to the docks. A nearly full moon had emerged from behind the island, and the bay was cast in a silvery glow.

Reaching the waterfront, Mach came to a low stone wall, behind which he had hidden four lamps. He sat two of them upon the wall and quickly worked to light them. Looking up, he could see right into the window of the ship's main cabin, and in the distance he could barely see Hans.

"Hope you're ready."

* * *

><p>Hans opened his eyes to find darkness had swallowed him up.<p>

He had been asleep!

He suddenly gripped the edge of the boat as he tried to reorient himself. What time was it? Was he too late? Had the emperor gone already? Had he missed his chance?

Looking around, his panic began to subside a little. The ship still sat in the water, although he had drifted away from it a bit. And looking around-

"Jesus Christ!" Two lights shone at him from the docks - the signal that Lord Haddock was returning soon. He had nearly slumbered right through his window of opportunity! "Oh, come on, come on…"

Trying to steel himself against error, while simultaneously trying to make up for however much time he had lost, he began rowing back towards the ship. Even as he went, he perceived a shadow flying from the village, and soon a third light went up.

"I know, I know!" Hans rowed harder and faster, until he very nearly bumped right into the wooden hull of the ship's stern. Taking the kindling from the box and setting it upon the firewood, he began desperately striking flint and steel together, praying for one of the sparks to flourish. A new foe now faced him: a chill wind had picked up, and seemed to mock his attempts to light the fire.

Although he didn't look up, Hans had a creeping sensation that a hundred dragons were watching him from above, that the emperor himself was leering over from the edge of the ship. It grew so intense that he jerked his head up.

No one.

With a sigh of contempt, he kept striking.

Finally, a few of the sparks caught the wood shavings and paper. A glowing ember began to lick the air, and it quickly consumed the paper it had landed on.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Hans didn't speak with more than a whisper though, and he placed the blocks of wood around the infant flame. They slowly began to catch and burn, despite being wet before, and a small fire finally was born.

It would have otherwise been a cheery light, if Hans had not been desperately watching the lanterns on the shore. Three all in a row.

"Come on...come on…"

Finally, a fourth lamp appeared. Mach had seen the emperor in his room, below deck.

With that, Hans took a block from the fire and held it to the ropes of the barrels. After a few seconds, it caught. The tiny flame began to eat its way down.

Time was of the essence now. Hans shakily got to his feet, and as best as he could without upsetting the boat, he jumped into the sea.

His instincts told him to swim. He listened. Stroking the water overhand, Hans fled. His eyes were pressed together to keep the water out, but every now and again he forced them open to see the lights by the docks.

Keep swimming.

The ropes were burning closer and closer.

Keep swimming.

Wait! His mind panicked. What if the wind snuffed the fire out?

Can't turn back, he told himself. If it did burn, he would be blown to bits if he checked. If it didn't…

Keep swimming.

The lights were drawing nearer and nearer.

Keep swimming.

Shouldn't it have gone off by now?

Keep swimming.

A hellish blast tore the air.

Hans felt the jolt through the water, and gave a gasp. He twisted himself around, treading the ocean as he looked.

Mach's fishing boat was gone, as was the stern of the ship. Pieces of wood were hailing in chunks from the sky. The bow already pointed into the air, as if it yearned to somehow escape its final throes of death. And the dragons...Hans turned and kept swimming, hoping to get far enough so that the dragons would not see him. They landed on the masts and deck, even as the craft tilted and sank, crying out in panic and alarm.

Hans kept swimming.

After a long and torturous time in the water, not knowing what was happening behind him, he finally reached the dock. While his arms cried out for mercy, he still gave them a final order to pull him up and onto the dry surface, where he turned onto his back and gasped for breath.

"Oh...oh God…"

Hans stayed that way for a long while, too tired to do anything. It seemed like hours until he found the strength to get to his feet. Looking back, the emperor's ship was gone, with only a few dragons now circling overhead. The rest he could not see, and joy gripped his heart.

Carlhorse was not in flames.

"Mach!" He called out. "Mach, we did it! Lord Haddock is dead! Carlhorse is free!"

It was only then he realized that Mach was not there.

"Of course, he's gone to the governor. And why shouldn't he go with fair news? We've done it, we're free!" Hans could hardly contain his excitement, and as he sprinted up to the village to join in the revelries.

As he drew near, however, far from being joyous, the village was dark. Few lights shone in any windows. No one walked the streets.

"Hello?" He called out. "Mach? Governor?"

As he turned a corner, he saw Mach there.

"Mach, we did it! We-"

"Shh!" His hand clamped over Hans' mouth. "Quiet!"

He was pale, eyes wide, and looked as if he were about to vomit. His hands and voice quivered, his mouth twisted into despair.

"We made a horrible mistake."


	17. Wounds

"I'll be right back." Hiccup spoke to Astrid. "Do you want me to just leave you here to enjoy the feast, until we're done loading everything up?"

"Yeah, you go take care of what you need to do. I'll be fine here." She fully enjoyed the comfortable setting of the great hall, and hoped to stay for at least a while longer.

"My lord, I will go to prepare the levy at once. Let me know when you return with your books." And with that, Governor Waltheson disappeared out the door.

"Hm," Astrid watched him leave, then turned around to face Hiccup. "Well, have fun. Be nice." She added an amusing smile, even though she hoped he would legitimately take these last two words to heart. As he picked his helmet off the ground, she faced back towards the table and saw a server offering more food.

"More fish or chicken, my lady? More bread?"

"Oh, no. No thank-" Her eyes suddenly went wide. "Look out!"

Another server, this one carrying a pitcher of water, was just finishing a conversation with a nearby table, and without watching his steps came straight for the back of the first server. Astrid had just barely shouted her warning when the two collided, and the chicken and fish ended up getting flung onto her. She flinched in shock.

"Hey!" Hiccup came charging around the table and seized the server's tunic collar. "What do you think you're-"

"Hiccup! Hiccup!" Astrid yelled to get his attention. "It's alright, I'm okay." She picked the meat off of her clothes with ginger fingers. "It was just an accident. It's okay, it's not his fault."

He looked from her to the server, who looked as if he were about cry. The entire hall had fallen silent. Giving a final hard glare, Hiccup released him, and the man recoiled with a whimper.

"My clothes are a mess, that's all. I'll change on the ship, can you fly me over?"

"Yeah, yeah." He slowly cooled down, and rested his hand on his forehead. "I just...yeah, let's go."

Both left the hall, all eyes following them. The server sat at one of the tables, his head buried in his hands, weeping quietly.

Toothless sprang up as he spotted Hiccup and Astrid emerge; his joy dimmed when he saw the grim look on their faces. Hiccup softened as he drew near, though.

"Hey, gotta go grab something, me and Astrid." He smoothed down the dragon's ears, and gave him a rub under the chin. Toothless rumbled in delight. Hiccup flipped up the hood of his robe and climbed on the dragon."Come on Astrid!"

As they flew over, however, Astrid remained conspicuously quiet as she held on to Hiccup from behind. Finally he asked, "Hey, what's wrong?"

She struggled to articulate her feelings, and wondered if it would be wise to do so fully. ""Nothing, I was just having a good time, and then this happened-"

_-and you had to go and terrorize the poor guy and destroy any kind of normalcy I was starting to build up-_

"-I'll be fine," she concluded. "Just gotta get cleaned up."

It wasn't until Toothless landed on the wooden deck with a thud that Astrid finally figured out some proper words.

"You really gave that poor guy a fright, you know."

"Who?"

_By Thor, does it really matter that little to him? _"The server, who spilled on me?"

"Oh yeah. Yeah, I guess I kind of overreacted on that…" He rubbed the back of his neck, and suddenly glanced at her. "Is that what's bothering you?"

His sharp perception startled Astrid, but her silence was enough for him.

"Look, I'm sorry. I just worry about you, that's all. I don't want anything to happen to you. And, I don't know…" His eyes darted around. "I might have been harsh with him, I'll try to not get like that again."

Astrid felt relieved, and she loosened up a little. "I appreciate your concern, but I'm a grown woman." She came up and put a hand on his chest. "I can take care of myself, thank you very much." With that, she gave a playful shove.

Hiccup grinned. "Duly noted, milady. And, Astrid," she had been going down below deck to dress, "next time, just tell me if I'm doing something to make you uncomfortable, alright?"

She nodded in assent, but as she went down the stairs, she took the words with a hint of skepticism. His actions that made her uncomfortable? That would be a long list to compile, especially considering most of them were weightier and more dramatic than simply confronting a clumsy server…

Now stuck in this mindset, Astrid proceeded deeper into the ship. Their cabins were at the very back, and soon she faced the door.

She pushed it open.

Stepping inside, Astrid proceeded to her drawers and began to retrieve a clean outfit.

Her room flashed into fire and splinters.

* * *

><p>"<em>Astrid! Astrid!"<em>

She felt cold water lapping at her feet, the world swam before her eyes, the floor tilted. Hiccup called from far away, and she was being lifted and dragged along the wooden planks.

Now darkness.

The wind whistled past her ears, Toothless flying faster than he ever had before. Hiccup's arm held around her stomach.

Pain. Such pain, in her side, her arm, her head felt like splitting open.

Darkness again.

Words, distant.

_-she dies, your village burns to the-_

_-lord, I will do what I can. Please, have-_

Frantic dreams - shadowy spirals all around her, dancing before her eyes. All was confusion and chaos.

All went black a final time.

Then finally, she regained her sense of self - her body was lying on its back, on a hard surface covered with cloth, with her head propped by a pillow. Her right hand had been folded atop her breast, and she felt it wrapped tightly in fabric.

Astrid took a slow breath in, which turned into a sharp sniff. Her chest stabbed with pain, and her forehead felt tender. She slowly exhaled, waiting for the aches to abate.

It took her a few tries to figure out how to breathe shallowly enough to avoid cringing agony. After solving that dilemma, she finally endeavored to open her eyelids.

She was in a small room, well lit by torch and candlelight. Several shelves lined the walls, lined with jars and rolls of linen. Besides her bed, the room only had two chairs, side by side next to the door. In one of these chairs sat Hiccup, writing something in his journal. Astrid had never seen his face more drawn, more woeful, excepting only when he had heard of his father's death. Toothless curled up in a corner, eyes scanning from her to Hiccup and back again.

Astrid's lips struggled to move, reluctant to give up precious breath for speech.

"H-Hiccup?"

He jumped at her words. "Astrid!" He vaulted out of his chair and to her side, taking her free hand and stroking her hair. "Thank the gods, I thought I was going to lose you!" He began covering every inch of skin he could see with kisses. "I heard the blast, and when I ran down there you were just lying there on the floor, the water rushing in, and your arm all bent…"

She had to correct herself: not even for his father's death had Hiccup been this emotional. The grief toned his voice to a point where she could hardly recognize it, and when he looked at her she saw that he was crying - not just a few lone tears, but long streaks that left his eyes bloodshot. His breath came short, and he gasped as he continued to shower her with affection.

"My gods, my gods…" he kept repeating over and over. His gaze never left her, as if he was afraid she would suddenly slip back into an eternal sleep.

For her part, Astrid was too tired to say much more, and settled for trying to return some of his kisses. She tried to sit up, but he stopped her.

"No no! You just need to rest, take it easy."

He was right - even that little effort shot renewed pain through her body, and her head suddenly began to ache. Astrid settled back again, and turned to see Toothless. The Night Fury had darted up to her bedside as soon as she had spoken, and was trying to get close enough to sniff her. She rubbed the dragon's head as he tried to step up onto the bed. "Does the healer know you're in his house?" His head cocked to the side, and he gave a quiet grumble in answer.

Astrid looked back at Hiccup, who gave a thin, weary smile. After a massive marshaling of her thoughts, she managed to ask, "What...what happened?"

"The ship, it...it exploded."

"One of the dragons?"

"No, no." Hiccup slowly straightened up. "I don't know any dragon with fire like that. And even if it was one of them, they would have confronted me head on, as a challenge for the position of alpha. Dragons don't sneak or scheme, they're honest if they're trying to kill you. This…" he began to grow angry, "this was somebody on Carlhorse."

Now he turned away, and Astrid couldn't see his face. But she could see his fists, clenching and unclenching, and his head so slightly hunched over.

"Someone on Carlhorse did this. I don't know what they used, but it was clearly meant to kill us." He walked to the far wall, as if he were looking through it. "After all I've done for them...and this is how they thank me…"

He stared down at his fists, and suddenly with a yell of rage slammed them against the wall. It felt as if the room trembled at the blow. Astrid cringed, and noticed that even Toothless flinched a bit. Hiccup was panting now, leaning against the wall as he recovered from his anger.

"What do I have to do…" He asked this painfully, to no one.

Before Astrid had a chance to respond, the healer came back. He looked from Hiccup to Astrid, and seemed relieved to see her awake. "My lady," he gave a bow, "it is a pleasure to see you return to us. How do you feel?"

"Sore." She tried to turn her neck to one side, and only succeeded in aggravating her headache.

"You had a severe blow to the head." The healer came closer, ever wary of Hiccup and Toothless. "Your arm was also broken, as well as three of your ribs. On top of that, you suffered several burns and wounds from splintering wood."

"That would explain a lot of what I'm feeling right now."

"You are very lucky, though. You are strongly built - such injuries would have killed a lesser man."

She gave a gentle snort. "It's the axe-throwing. Keeps me in shape."

Hiccup broke in. "When can she be moved?"

"I already treated her smaller wounds, they will heal over time. The ribs, too, just take time." The healer began to shrink under Hiccup's gaze. "Her arm must be kept in the sling, and she should stay in bed as much as possible, for a month. But as soon as she feels ready to stand, she may."

Content with this answer, Hiccup came up beside Astrid and began scooping her out of the bed. The healer stepped back, looking as if he objected.

Astrid whispered, "What are you doing?"

"Gotta get you back to Berk. You'll be safe there." Soon Hiccup held her, one arm under her knees and the other supporting her from behind, and she rested her head on his shoulder. "Come on, Toothless."

They left without a word of farewell or thanks to the healer.

As they stepped outside, Astrid blinked into the sunlight - she had been unconscious for a long while, she realized. A large crowd of people had gathered outside the healer's hut, and dragons lined the rooftops. Then Hiccup spoke, and she shuddered at the rage she heard in his voice, more angered than it had ever been:

"I want everyone in the village commons! NOW!"


	18. Consequences

A blood red sun peered up over the hills of Carlhorse, and sent its rays into the governor's hut.

"You idiots!"

Waltheson hissed as he smacked Hans, and then Mach.

"You failed! And you failed so spectacularly, that none of us may see the light-"

"Dad?"

Waltheson jerked his head around and saw Peter coming out of his bedroom. He carried his stuffed dragon in his arms. "Dad, what's going on?"

"Nothing, Peter." He knelt on one knee and motioned for his son to come over. Wrapping him a tight hug, he whispered. "Everything's alright."

"Is something wrong?"

"No, no, everything's going to be okay." But Hans saw the look on his face, and realized that the governor was trying to convince himself of his own lie. "Everything will be okay. Go back to bed, Peter."

"But it's morning. I'll have class soon."

"No, no, not today. I need you to help with some stuff later. Just go to bed."

Peter trudged back into his room, but before closing his door he gave a tired look to Hans and Mach. Hans kept realizing, layer after layer, all of the consequences of his actions, and he turned to the governor. His anger had diffused into despair.

"If Lady Hofferson dies…" he wiped his eyes with his wrist, "Lord Haddock will have absolutely no mercy for us." He shook his head and muttered. "We need to hide. The Red Caves...those should hold everyone, and you can hardly see them from above."

"Here, I'll go warn everyone!" Hans made to go out the door.

"NO!" Hans flinched as Waltheson started to his feet. "You will do nothing more for the people of Carlhorse! I should never have trusted you! You played off of my fear, and led my people into disaster!"

"Governor, no...please…can't you see, they're not even your people! They're Lord Haddock's, you are only a pupp-"

"ENOUGH!" Waltheson grabbed a cup from the table and hurled at Hans. It flew behind him and ricocheted off the wall with a clatter. "Do you not understand?! Everyone on Carlhorse is in grave danger because of you! I shouldn't have listened to you…"

Hans looked around for help; Mach looked down at his feet, rubbing his arm. A crushing shame fell on Hans' shoulders, and every second it cracked his soul even more.

"Governor Waltheson…I am so sorry...I just wanted to help you, help my kingdom…"

"And you have done nothing to help either of them. If this is how Kranzgrad treats its friends, then I am grateful that we have not had the pleasure of meeting before." He pushed past Hans and knocked on his son's door. "Peter? I changed my mind, I need you to get up, get dressed as fast as you can, okay? We're going for a walk." He turned to Hans and Mach. "Get out of my sight. I will not hide you in the caves, and I will not hide you in my house. If Lord Haddock kills you, it will be just."

Suddenly, a voice echoed from outside: "I want everyone in the village commons! NOW!"

It was Lord Haddock's voice, and the anger chilled Hans to the marrow. Waltheson turned around, his mouth hanging open.

"We're too late…"

* * *

><p>"Every man, woman, child, here, now!" Lord Haddock was fuming as Hans drew near. The emperor was standing in the middle of the commons, with his Night Fury nearby. Lady Hofferson sat in the saddle, and as Hans watched she gently leaned back and lay on the dragon's back. She was clearly in a great deal of pain.<p>

Lord Haddock, meanwhile, glared at the crowd which drew in. A Deadly Nadder and Monstrous Nightmare stood by his side, and several dragons sat on the roofs above. They seemed to watching both Lady Hofferson, concerned for her well-being, and the emperor, waiting for a command.

Hans took his place at the back of the crowd, and saw its makeup. There was an old couple, sharing a single cloak, shivering like leaves in the wind. Here was a mother with five children, all pressed close to her, herself kneeling and weeping over them, kissing them all in turn. One of the children, a daughter, turned and peered at Hans with a grubby face. Her expression was that curious youthful fear.

"Alright!" The emperor's voice snapped everyone's attention to him. He gave a thin smile and threw his hands into the air. "Is everyone here?"

No answer.

"Well, I didn't hear a 'no'. But I'm really, really hoping I will get some kind of answer for this next question:" He continued his fake smile as he talked. "Who did it?"

Hans' breath stole away.

"Anyone? Anyone at all? Nobody wants to come forward?"

The smile did little to assure anyone.

The emperor turned, signaled to the Nightmare, and pointed to a nearby house. Within the seconds, it was reduced to smoldering ruins.

There was a shout from the crowd. Hans ducked as the flames sprouted up. Again, the emperor turned back, that smile still on his face, now exaggerated to nearly comical proportions. "Who did it?"

No answer. Another house in flames. Now the fake happiness disappeared.

"I can do this all day!" He screamed. "There are plenty of buildings, and if we run out we WILL move on to people! Now, who-"

"Lord Haddock."

Hans Hermann didn't feel himself say the words, but he heard them come from his mouth. His vision blurred as he slowly poked his way through the crowd, people parting before him, and he came up to the center. The emperor watched him coming. Now he was taking his final few steps up to Lord Haddock, the protective feel of the crowd gone. Alone. Exposed. He opened his mouth.

"I did it."

He had admitted it. It was done. The emperor glared at him, but did not move.

"I made blast powder, and set it off by your ship. I-"

Lord Haddock grabbed his ear and gave a sharp twist, shutting him up. Hans yelled in pain as the emperor forced him into a kneeling position, not letting up on his grip.

"Who else?! Who else helped you?!"

Hans grabbed at Lord Haddock's arm with weak hands, the pain making tears come to his eyes. "No one! No one, I was alone!"

"Governor!" The emperor looked up. "Bring out your tribute, now!" He glanced back down. "What is your name?"

"Hans…" He gasped. "Hans Hermann."

Lord Haddock gave him a peculiar glance, terrifying as the sun shone from behind him, casting his features and Hans into shadow. "Have we met before?"

_He doesn't remember!_ "No...no...my lord."

"Hmph. You know," the emperor gave another twist, renewing the pain, "trying to kill my significant other really gets us off on the wrong foot." He released his grip and shoved Hans back. "Hold him!"

The Deadly Nadder leapt upon him, and he was trapped as the talons pinned him to the ground. Hans lay there, helplessly pressed against the dirt, for what seemed forever. The emperor took to pacing back and forth, scanning the crowd. Hans could see the people wincing as Lord Haddock's gaze passed over them. He fiddled with his armor for a bit, not saying a word, until Waltheson returned.

"My lord…" he panted, "I present you...with a payment...on the levy...we owe you." He motioned for two people to bring forward a cloth, which sagged low to the ground with gold. From where he could see, though, Hans realized it was not a very impressive amount.

Lord Haddock picked a golden cup from the pile. He inspected it, and began to chuckle. "This is what you had me bring a ship for?" Giving a smug look, he asked, "Tell me, Waltheson, where did you get this? Your kitchen?!" He threw it at the governor, who cringed as it hit his arm.

Hans realized that was exactly where he got the cup - he recognized it as the governor's ceremonial chalice. The poor soul had tried to cobble together what he could, and had failed.

"You had no intention of giving me anything." The emperor came up to Waltheson, his voice now quiet. "You had no levy prepared, no tribute to offer. You were in on this, weren't you?"

The governor began gasping in his growing panic, and Lord Haddock nodded in triumph. "Mhm, as I thought. Hans, that's two bad strikes between us now. And as for you…" With a sudden rage, he grabbed Waltheson and threw him to the ground. "After all I've done for you, this is how you repay me?!"

Everyone gasped as the governor tumbled. Hans heard Peter cry out, "Dad!"

"I killed the barbarians that raided your shores, I gave you wealth beyond anything you had hoped for!" He towered over Waltheson, who was trying to shield his face with his arms. "I made you governor of this island, and this is how you show your gratitude!"

He kicked Waltheson in gut, and the man rolled over onto his other side, now clutching his stomach and moaning.

"What do I have to do to get some respect from you people?!" He pulled a knife from a sheath on his sleeve and traveled around the circle, demanding an answer from the crowd. Men hugged their wives, parents huddled with their children, all gazing with a helpless fear. He gestured with the knife as he spoke. "Give me one good reason why I should not have you all torn limb from limb right now! Maybe then you'll show me a little reverence!"

"My lord…" Waltheson croaked as he tried to ease himself up on his elbows. "Please...they've done nothing…"

"You are in no position to negotiate!" Lord Haddock sprang over and dragged him up from the ground, holding him inches from his face. His voice rose, again, to a nearly incomprehensible roar. "You almost killed Lady Hofferson, do you hear me?! You almost killed her!"

His teeth gritted, his eyes flaming with rage, the emperor drove his knife straight into Waltheson's chest.

"No!"

"Dad!"

Hans' and Peter's yells were drowned by the village's outcry. Even the dragons, it seemed, startled at the violence. Everyone screamed as the former governor slumped to his knees, the blade stuck in his chest.

Lord Haddock backed away, his breath coming heavy. He looked at his hands, then at Waltheson, now falling backwards onto the ground. It seemed that his head shook ever so slightly, before he turned away and towards his Night Fury.

"Dad, Dad! No!" Peter took the opportunity to break from the crowd, and he ran to Waltheson, kneeling beside him. His father's hand reached up and stroked his hair.

"Your debt is tripled!" The emperor proclaimed as he clambered onto his dragon, slowly easing Lady Hofferson into a sitting position in front of him. "And I want everything you owe me in a month! There will be no more mercy, if this is to be my thanks!"

"Dad? Dad!" Waltheson's hand had gone limp, and Peter clung to it. "No, Dad, don't go!"

The emperor cast several glances at Peter, and his face seemed to writhe. "Let's go!"

Hans heard a quaver, a crack in Lord Haddock's voice, before he himself was yanked into the air, fated to never set foot upon Carlhorse's soil again.


	19. Fading Light

Astrid sat on Hiccup's bed, her arm slung in front of her. Hiccup paced the floor before her, glancing daggers at their newly-designated thrall, Hans. The man's head sunk to his chest, only rarely daring to glance up, and his hands were chained together. Toothless watched the proceedings with great interest.

"What can you do?"

Hiccup's demand prompted Hans to lift his head up. Astrid could see his eyes sullen, defeated. "What...what can I…"

"It's not a hard question!" Astrid saw Hans wince at the shout. "What can you do for me? Can you cook?"

A dazed nod from Hans.

"Can you wash clothes?"

A nod.

"Can you clean a house?

A nod.

"Answer me when I ask you something!"

Hans jumped again. "Yes, yes...sorry...yes…"

"Yes?"

"...my lord." He bowed his head.

"That's better. Now, is there anything else you'd like to tell me?"

Hans opened his mouth, closed it again, gulped. "I can...I can draw maps. I studied in the art."

"Well, I guess it's something useful." Hiccup nodded. "Yeah, I think I'll keep you for a bit. Need to make you a proper collar, though, that's what thralls are supposed to wear." A moment of silence. "Go get me and her Ladyship some water."

Hans left through the door, and Hiccup stood there, fuming. Astrid had watched the exchange with a certain growing horror. Thralldom had always been frowned upon in Berk, but now...

"Hiccup?"

"Yes?" He whipped around, and his voice suddenly became concerned. "What's wrong, does something hurt?"

"No no, nothing new. It's just...when you say 'thrall', you don't really mean…"

"Lifelong service? Why shouldn't I mean that?"

"But it's not right! We've never had that here on Berk."

"You want to tell me about not right? He almost killed you, Astrid! If anything, he should be thankful that I brought him back to Berk, instead of…" He shook his head, and looked down at his hands. "He almost had you killed…"

"But thralldom on Berk?" Just those words sounded wrong. "It's barbaric! Don't do this, jail him if you want, but don't put him through this humiliation!"

"_He_ shouldn't have to go through humiliation?!" His voice snapped. "Why are you defending him? Look what he did to you!" He gestured at her broken arm. "It's the very least he can do for-"

"My lord and lady," Hans pushed the door open, carrying two cups. "I have the water you asked for."

Hiccup walked over to him, and Hans held out the two cups - Astrid could see his hands slightly tremble. Hiccup looked into both of them, but didn't accept them.

"Drink them."

Confusion crossed Hans' face.

"Didn't you hear me? Drink them both!"

With a start, he began swallowing the water as quickly as he could. One cup emptied, and he began on the other. As he tipped it back, Hiccup tilted the end up even higher. Astrid heard Hans splutter as the water flowed into his nose and over his face, and he recoiled, dripping water everywhere. Hiccup jabbed his finger in his face.

"That's if you even think about poisoning either of us. If you put so much as a hair out of line, I will have your throat clawed out, do you hear me?" Hans nodded, shaking. "Go downstairs, do something useful."

Water still dripping from his chin, Hans scurried out the door. Hiccup went over to his workbench, still smoldering. He began to gather a few materials, but stopped and ran his hands through his hair.

"I...I-I don't understand. Have I...have I done something wrong?" He turned to ask Astrid and Toothless. "Is this what I deserve? Do I deserve to be killed for bringing order to the archipelago?"

Astrid didn't respond out loud. She stood and came over by the Night Fury, putting her arm around his head, watching Hiccup continue ranting.

"Because I thought I would get some kind of _positive _recognition for that. I thought people would finally appreciate me, for getting rid of the Outcasts and these other raiding tribes, for taming the dragons. Apparently," he gestured out the door, "I was wrong! What, will it take me solving this?!" Now he brandished the transmutation book. "Maybe I'll go and find the secret to eternal life, outlive every human on this archipelago, go on as emperor forever, and then people will recognize me. Or maybe even THAT won't be enough! It seems no matter what I do, the world always has to go and prove that no one cares about me!" He sat now at his bench, throwing the book aside, and with a groan buried his face in hands.

"Hiccup…" Astrid came up beside him, trying to draw him back out. "Hiccup, it's okay. You're still alive, and...and people do care about you. I care about you. A lot."

She took his hands with a ginger touch, and drew them from his face

"And so what if one person tried to hurt you? You're not dead. And I'm not dead, I'm going to be alright. I'm going to be alright," she repeated. Her words were having little visible impact, though. "And not everyone is going to love the way you rule as an emperor-"

"But it's not just people here in Berk. Nobody listens to me! You know how I told you I was having trouble with the Holy Roman Emperor? I can't reach any kind of agreement with him. He won't take me seriously, says I'm just a kid! He doesn't realize I could-" He paused. "I could…" He slowly rose, and Astrid saw his eyes flicker darkly as he realized exactly what he could do.

"...oh no, no!" She leapt up. "Hiccup, that's not the answer! You just need to have patience, everything will turn out alright if you stay calm." But he wasn't listening to her; he began pulling papers from his piles. She recognized them as maps - depicting the northern shores of the Holy Roman Empire, according to their titles. Already his mind seemed to be targeting the dots that represented the cities. "No, you don't need to - Don't make these decisions when you're angry like this!"

"Actually," he looked at her, "I think my decisions have needed some anger in them, for a long time now."

"But people could die! Hiccup!" He had taken his pencil, and now drew arrows from the north, circling cities, entire villages, with only a slight motion of his fingertips. "Don't jump into this, people could die! People _will _die! And what will you gain?"

"I'll get what I deserve!" His words came sharp. "You said it yourself, not everyone will love me…" He looked down at the paper. "So I'll have them fear me instead."

"No, Hiccup, no…" Astrid felt herself tearing up, and she seized his head in her hands. Squeezing her eyes shut, she pressed her lips against his. They locked for a long while, and he melted into her grasp, holding the back of her head.

But it wasn't him.

The warm butterflies she normally felt had curdled and spoiled. When they broke, she stepped back, terrified. Those were not the same green eyes; they no longer laughed or wondered. Only pain festered in them now. Without another word, she turned and left for her own bedroom, where she stayed the rest of the afternoon and into the night, mulling over her horrible realization.

She had not kissed Hiccup. She had kissed the Dragon Overlord.

Hiccup was dead.

* * *

><p>The darkness outside was long, and Astrid tossed and turned, sleep hardly coming to her. She was engaged in a lengthy debate against herself. Hours of wakefulness crawled by, as she went back and forth with her own mind. It wasn't until the sun finally started to rise, and the sky grew brighter and brighter through her window, that she came to settle on her decision. With the dawn already broken, she rose from her bed and dressed, then left her room.<p>

Going downstairs, Astrid saw Hans, his head bent down as he cleaned the room. At the moment he ran a wet rag over the table, trying to get any trace of mess off of it.

Astrid crossed her left arm in front of her right, feeling awkward. How was she supposed to talk to the man that tried to kill Hiccup, who almost killed her? He hadn't noticed her yet, so intent on his work. Finally she went for a simple greeting.

"Hello."

Hans reacted almost comically, jumping at her voice. His eyes were fearful, and his voice supplicating.

"My Lady! I...I'm sorry…" He glanced around, rubbing his elbows for security, making his chains clink. "I...I...would you like breakfast? I can prepare you something at once! Or anything you'd like, I-"

"No Hans, it's alright." She didn't move to console him, but Astrid wasn't comfortable having him wait on her either. "I'm just looking for Hiccup. Where is he?"

"He left, saying he was going south."

"Oh my gods." Astrid covered her mouth with her hand. "He's really going to do it…"

"It was just a short while ago, he may still be on the island if you please." He didn't look up at her as he spoke. In fact, seeing him now, Astrid saw him as less dangerous and more pathetic - his eyes were bereft of all light. The way he wouldn't look up at her, the way he shivered as he stood. She realized that Hiccup's threats the night before weren't needed; the man's spirit had been broken.

Without another word, she left Hans and went out the front door to the stables where the dragons were housed, as fast as she could without straining her ribs too much. Still, the pain had her panting as she drew near, but she was thankful to see a large horde of dragons clustered around the building. Hiccup was in front, shouting to them.

"Come on, let's hurry! Hurry! I want to have at least two other nests with us by sundown. Oh, Astrid!" He saw her coming, and quickly approached her. "You're supposed to be resting, you need time to heal."

"I know, I know," she moved her hair out of her eyes, "but I actually wanted to ask you something." He was quiet, to indicate he would listen. "I know that you're worried about me…"

"Of course I am!" He took her free hand and pulled her close. "Astrid, you mean more to me than anything else."

She couldn't meet his eyes as he said this, but she pressed forward. "Well, I was thinking, you're always going on trips across the empire, but whenever you do, I usually stay here-"

"No, Astrid." Hiccup was soft. "Not while you're in this shape, and I mean...look what happened to you! And I'm going to be doing a lot more dangerous missions from now on, I'm riding into battle now. I can't imagine what would-"

"No no, I don't want to go with you." She bit her lip before asking. "But I was thinking, it would be handy for me, for when you're not here, to learn how to train the dragons myself."

He seemed a bit stunned by the suggestion.

"That way I can protect myself," she added. "And you wouldn't have to worry about me when you're away."

Hiccup looked around at the dragons. "I don't know. I mean, I don't completely know how they'd take to it. Are you sure you'd be up for it?"

"I'm positive."

He put on his helmet, but kept it raised so that his face was visible. "If you think you can handle them, then when I get back I'll show you what to do." Now Hiccup went to Toothless, and mounted on the saddle. Astrid watched, slightly relieved that she was successful in her request, but still frantic over the imminent conquest he was about to launch.

"Hiccup, you don't have to do this."

He didn't answer, instead preparing for flight. She came up beside Toothless.

"I know _why _you're doing this."

This got Hiccup's attention. Astrid pleaded to bring him back.

"You don't have to prove yourself. You don't have to prove your strength, your might, your cunning. Those people have done nothing to you, it's not right-"

Hiccup slowly reached down and caressed her cheek, making her fade into silence.

"I'll be back soon. I love you." With that, he flipped his helmet down, and hunching low over the Night Fury he yelled, "Follow!"

With a windstorm, the dragons took into the air, and Astrid watched as they flew south. She thought of the cities Hiccup had been marking, the soldiers who would try to stand against the onslaught of a dragon army, the people that those soldiers defended.

"Gods help them…"


	20. Dawn of War

Hiccup moved through the gaps in the rocks, groping the walls as he passed through bottlenecks and around sharp turns. Every now and again he had to pick his way over a large boulder, the light before him growing ever stronger. Toothless followed behind, carefully navigating his own way.

Before long the dark stone gave way, and opened into a massive space. Hiccup gazed around. Gentle green covered the ground before him, and to his left a stream wound its way over a cliff. Beyond the precipice, stone and ice pillars lifted a massive frozen shell far above the ground.

Dragons filled the air.

The bluish-green ambience of the nest was shattered by brilliant reds, yellows, and purples, along with every other hue imaginable. As Hiccup stepped out, the dragons swirled above his head, excited to see him.

"Hey, hey." He greeted them as they landed and came up to him. "How are you guys doing?"

His warm tone encouraged the dragons to press in closer. Toothless wrapped his tail around Hiccup and growled a possessive warning.

"Don't worry, I couldn't forget you," he laughed as Toothless cast a suspicious glare around. "You'll always be my bud."

A deep rumble suddenly shook the ground. Looking up, Hiccup saw the gaze of a Bewilderbeast, rising up over the cliff's edge - the king of the nest. The other dragons stilled as Hiccup stepped forward.

He took great care to be respectful, while at the same time not showing any sign of weakness. The Bewilderbeast towered in front of him, watching with quiet eyes.

Hiccup slowly reached for his sword, took it, and flicked the blade out. It flashed into dragon fire, and he circled it above his head with a smooth, deliberate motion.

"I need your help!" He shouted to be heard, and holding his sword in his left hand he gestured with his right. "To the south are many people, many humans, who will hurt you." The Bewilderbeast narrowed its eyes, and gave a soft growl. "Bad men, who will hurt dragons. I'm going to stop them, I will not give them that chance. Will you help me?"

The dragon cast his eyes down, each one several times larger than Hiccup's head. Hiccup watched as he considered the proposal. He held both arms up and spoke again.

"Help me defeat the bad men, the men who will try to kill you. We will stop them together! Honor your commitment to me, and join me!"

The Bewilderbeast stared at him for a while longer. Then it closed its eyes, and tilted its head forward. Hiccup approached, and rested his hand on the dragon's snout.

"Let's go."

* * *

><p>Hiccup's heart raced as they flew south. It was night now, and the stars twinkled overhead like jewels upon black velvet, with the bright yet waning moon shining opal. Yet he could not enjoy their beauty, as he currently grappled with some small voice inside him. It seemed to be screaming its objection to his actions, and he struggled to silence it. But just when it seemed to be gaining traction, and he considered turning back, leering grins swam before his eyes, voices mocking his weakness, Astrid lying on the wooden floor, her arm bent unnaturally, the ocean already trying to suck her into its depths…<p>

_I won't let it happen again, _he thought to himself. His conviction was renewed, and he kept pressing forward.

Behind him, hundreds of dragons followed, including two Bewilderbeasts that swam in the waters below. Hiccup checked his compass and his map every now and then, making sure to stay the course. The sun soon rose his left, and the moon faded into yellow and disappeared to his right a while later. And it was when the sun had climbed a good distance above the water that the ocean finally ran into land.

"There it is…" Hiccup felt his gut clench as he looked at the town of Wassenheim. Roughly oval, its long edge ran parallel to the coastline. Paved roads embellished its footprint, and several towers rose above the houses and shops. In the western half of the city, a large citadel lifted itself above the rest of the buildings, proud and tall. A stone wall ringed Wassenheim, coming just between it and the ocean. It was a good sized town, larger than Berk, and prized as one of the northernmost ports of the Holy Roman Empire.

By the end of the day, it would be the southernmost stronghold of Berk.

Hiccup minded to stay above the reach of arrows, and soon the flock of dragons circled almost directly above the city. The two Bewilderbeasts stalled in the water, waiting for their signal.

Toothless looked down and vocalized his confusion. The people down there didn't _seem _particularly dangerous…

"Whispering Deaths!"

Hiccup called out, and motioned for a nearby Whispering Death to approach him. Twenty-one others also came forward, and their tails twisted the air as they hovered.

"You will fly down first. The rest of the flock will come with me, except...Wavewing!" He pointed out a Scauldron. "You signal the Bewilderbeasts on my cue! Now, all of you, I hope you are ready! Today, we will stop these people, before they have the chance to hunt you down. I am proud to be leading you on this charge, and I hope that we will get one step closer to a world where swords and axes and bows will no longer be taken up against dragons! A world where we can all live together, in peace, without mankind trying to tear us apart."

Hiccup realized that his monologue went over most of the dragons' heads, but he still felt like saying something - it seemed only proper. Now he turned Toothless around, and looked down at Wassenheim. He could see small specks gathering in the roads, pale faces turned up to witness the dawn of a new era. An era where weapons of wood and iron were obsolete, powerless against the fire of dragons and the strategy of men.

Not men, Hiccup corrected. Me.

_My _strategy.

"First wave!" He pointed with his hand. "Go, now!"

Thus it began.

The Whispering Deaths plummeted through the air, their bodies corkscrewing as they descended. Hiccup watched the crowds scatter as the dragons plunged into the earth, eating their way through the cobblestone streets as if they weren't there, leaving tunnels in their wake. Several seconds later, the sounds of turmoil floated up as a Whispering Death burst up from a house, leaving it in ruins, then proceeding to spring across the street to bore a hole through another building.

"Wavewing, go get the Bewilderbeasts! Now, half of you here!" He motioned to his left. "Second wave, go!" With a great collective cry, scores of dragons descended upon the town. The dots sped faster now, retreating away into the city. "The rest of you, follow me!"

Shifting Toothless' fin, they dived as the two Bewilderbeasts emerged from the sea onto shore. Massive swells of water cast fishing boats asunder and washed over the wooden docks, causing them to be drowned and hidden. Hiccup came before the behemoths, getting their attention, and cast a quick glance down as sailors and fishermen fled the oceanside.

"Alright, you!" He pointed to one of the Bewilderbeasts. "Break through the wall at that end, and go into the city. You, break through at that end. Understand?"

Both of the giant dragons turned and began taking their slow, lumbering, and yet long strides towards Wassenheim.

"Everyone else! Split up, cover the Bewilderbeasts, protect them! You half, follow him. You half, follow him. Come on Toothless, let's get a better view." He flipped his helmet down, masking his face.

His flock all divided up, Hiccup watched the battle rage, soaring back and forth over the city. Catapults and ballistas on the walls tried to shoot down the dragons - Toothless promptly blasted several of the machines to bits, leaving the remainder to be torn apart by the others. Smoke began to rise as fires burned in the streets, and buildings toppled from the Deaths' tunneling. Hiccup pulled up Toothless to hover, and his gaze trailed up a street: down below, a flaming Monstrous Nightmare was tearing through some roadside stalls, prompting vendors and customers to flee; as they ran, a pair of Gronckles buzzed in front of them, making them stop and scatter into their houses. Some men emerged clad in armor, holding swords in defiance of the invaders. These were promptly pierced through the heart by spikes hurled by the Nadders.

The air suddenly rumbled with an echoing boom. Hiccup looked up as, on the southeastern edge of the city, the wall began to crumble. Another boom, and the web of cracks grew. Another boom, and the stone began to come apart, and the first Bewilderbeast pushed its way through. Its accompanying swarm came down among the buildings, renewing the assault, as the behemoth stepped into the town.

"Alright, we got one in…" Looking to the west, Hiccup set his sights on the castle, where the prince of Wassenheim lived. He also saw several dragons falling from the skies. "Let's go, that way!"

Toothless beat his wings and rocketed himself and Hiccup forward, even as more booms foretold the arrival of the second Bewilderbeast. When the two circled over the castle, Hiccup could see crossbowmen on the citadel walls, trying to shoot down as many dragons as they could. A large barracks stood nearby, and several sections of soldiers were trying to fend off their foes in the skies.

"We gotta take them down! Aim for the tops of the towers, and _hurk!_" He was cut off as an arrow hit him in the chest.

Toothless cried out, twisting around to see Hiccup as he suddenly lost control of the tailfin. Working quickly, Toothless wrapped himself around his human like a cocoon as they fell onto the citadel walls, skidding into one of the towers.

The Night Fury started up as Hiccup tried to regain his bearings. He saw the arrow sticking from his friend's chest, and growled with a sinister tone. All doubt about their actions fled his mind - they had hurt Hiccup, and they would not get away with it…

"In here, it fell in here!" The voices of men sounded outside, and Toothless turned around, snarling. He kept in front of Hiccup, and watched the doors on either side of the tower for enemies to appear. Sure enough, to his left two pikemen ran into the room, then swiftly ran back out as Toothless fired at them, blowing a hole in the wall. The Night Fury screamed in rage, daring anyone else to show their faces.

"Toothless?" Sparing a glance aside, the dragon saw Hiccup getting back on his feet. "Oh, quick thinking there bud. You did good." He grasped the arrow with one hand and pulled it out. No blood colored its tip. "Apparently, I did good too, on my armor."

Their mutual relief was interrupted by another group of soldiers pressing into the tower. Toothless' eyes narrowed as he growled, and Hiccup flicked his sword out, the blade springing aflame, ready to fight. But they didn't have to - as the footsoldiers recognized the pair, their faces blanched.

"The Lord of the Dragons!"

"The Night Fury!"

With yells of terror, many scrambled over each other to flee. A few simply fell to the ground on their hands and knees, not daring to look up. Hiccup came up to one of these men, who stared down and trembled as he saw the boots stepping towards him.

"P-p-p-please…" he choked out. "Sh-show mercy…"

Hiccup held his sword in front of him. "Look at me."

The swordsman looked up, and saw the brilliant green eyes glinting through the mask, the sword burning hot in the emperor's hands, the Night Fury standing behind him.

"Where is your prince?"

"He-he's inside the castle! He hasn't left all day, he should be inside there! I swear to God, he's in there!"

As the soldier spoke, a roaring hiss came from outside the tower, followed by the crackle of ice. Walking outside, Hiccup looked over the wall and saw the second Bewilderbeast standing over the barracks - or what remained of it. The bricks and wood had been pierced by massive knives of ice, with who knew how many men frozen inside.

"Come on, Toothless!" Hiccup stowed his blade away, mounted again, and took off, leaving the swordsman behind to revel in his survival.

As the two circled the castle once more, the Bewilderbeast spotted them and roared in greeting. At the same time, Hiccup saw the soldiers of the citadel fleeing. Word of his appearance had gotten around, apparently, and they had turned to panic as he flew overhead. Some even resorted to falling upon their own swords, more willing to die than face the rumored wrath of the Dragon Overlord.

"Okay, that tower there!" Toothless flew up, turned around, and divebombed one of watchtowers, reducing it to rubble. They repeated again for the next, and by that time the final resistance of the city was failing. Dragons swarmed the castle walls and dispatched any man who took up arms. "Alright, let's finish this. Through that window!"

The central castle had a large stained window that was topped with a pointed arch. With a single blast, Toothless shattered the glass and flew through, landing on the floor inside. Hiccup jumped off again.

"Hello!" He called out. "Where is the ruler of the city?"

There was no answer. They had landed at the end of a long hallway, which delved deep into the castle. The duo walked further inside. The sounds of battle became distant, and the quiet unnerved Hiccup. He was just fingering for his weapon when he heard a door open up ahead.

"Hello!"

Only silence.

The two pressed forward, and a door came up on their right. Hiccup pushed it open and stepped inside, extending his sword again. Curtains were drawn across the windows, making the room dark. The lavish decoration made it perfectly clear that a prince lived here.

"Look at this place, Toothless."

He held up his sword for light, thus accidentally deflecting the blow that came from behind the door.

"Ah!" Reacting quickly, Hiccup stepped back and swung his weapon, throwing the door closed as Toothless bolted inside. A man wearing a golden circle on his head tried once more to hit Hiccup. Unable to block it, he dived to the side. Toothless pounced forward and, with a swipe of the tail, knocked the prince against the far wall.

"Hoh, oh," Hiccup recovered his footing. "Well, that's twice today you saved me. I, uh, I guess I better work on weapons handling." He gave a short chuckle before coming over to where the prince lay, who watched as the two approached

"So…" He struggled to speak. "It is come at last. Lord Haddock, the Emperor of Berk, has arrived on our shores. And for all my efforts, I have failed to repel him." His eyes were glossy. "This shall be my end then, to perish in defense of my city. This shall be how history remembers me, as a martyr..."

Hiccup scoffed. "Don't start writing ballads about yourself yet." He was trying to roll over, so Hiccup pinned him down at the shoulder with his foot. "I have a few things for you to do first: I need the people to accept me as their new emperor, and a public announcement from their prince should work quite nicely, I think. In return, I'll let you keep control of the city - and I'll even forgive you trying to kill me just now.

"Or," he interrupted before the prince could object, "I can have my dragons keep tearing Wassenheim apart, kill most of your people, then round up the remainder and force them into thralldom up north, along with yourself. Either way, I won't kill you. But which choice do you really want now, Prince? How will you look your people in the eye, what will you tell them - that they could have had a better life, but your pride forced them into servitude?"

The prince looked up with loathing and fear, while Hiccup smirked down.

"Well?"

"No." The prince's face remained defiant. "I will sooner die than bow to you. History shall remember me as a hero!"

"You're ridiculous," Hiccup snorted. "No one will even remember your name." He lifted his foot, went to the window, and threw it open, letting blinding light into the room. He hollered at the top of his lungs: "Stop! Stop!"

The dragons communicated the message to each other and throughout the city.

"I'll just get the city together, and see what they have to say about the matter." Hiccup stood over the prince. "I'm sure they'll be more reasonable. There are thousands of people who can fill in as governor, instead of you. And you…" He cocked his head. "I think you get to come home with me."


	21. In the Emperor's Service

**THREE MONTHS LATER**

* * *

><p>Hans stood in Lord Haddock's room, scrawling across a patchwork of parchment on the wall. He was sweating - he almost always was these days - and it took a monumental effort of concentration to keep his hand from shaking. His nose burned slightly as, across the room, one of the emperor's concoctions gave off an acidic stench. It was his seventeenth attempt at the Waters of Life.<p>

He coughed as the smell overcame his restraint, and he held his hand to his nose to lessen the assault on his nostrils. With his free hand, he finished writing the label.

"Al…" He spoke as he wrote it out, his throat pressing against his steel collar. "...bi...on."

Upon hearing rumors of the massive isle to the west, the emperor had sought out Albion, promptly found the land, and begun his conquest of it. At the same time, he had drawn or confiscated several small maps of the coastline, and taken notes about distances and features. Now he had returned after two weeks, and it was Hans' job to compile them all into one larger work.

The master map, as it now looked, had Berk in the middle, with the immediate holdings around it shaded blue. To the south, a peninsula jutted up towards the islands, also shaded blue; it sprouted out of a large wide continent called "Europa". Berk's hold reached halfway into the mainland, with another sea marking the boundary to the south.

Taking a deep breath to steel himself, Hans removed his hand from his nose to study the maps of Albion, and began marking the new territory Lord Haddock had seized: the entire eastern coastline, and most of the northern third of the isle. Continuing to breathe shallowly, he next marked where the emperor had established new nests: two of them, to be exact, both along the ocean. And finally, major battles that had occurred between the dragons and the native armies. Hans had to mark in a blue X for Lord Haddock's victories, and a red X for any defeats.

To date, no red ink had touched the map.

With that, Hans' cartography duties were finished. The emperor's ever successful campaigns struck despair into his heart, especially since he had the personal honor of charting their progress as they unfolded. Only one fact comforted him.

Lord Haddock had not set his eyes eastward yet. Kranzgrad, for the moment, was safe.

Hans knew it was only a matter of time, though, before another expedition was sent to search for the first, this one more armed and belligerent. Not only would they be annihilated, but it would attract the emperor's attention, and draw him to Kranzgrad almost immediately. And even barring that scenario, it seemed inevitable that Lord Haddock would look to extend his reach to the east sooner or later. Hans stared at the blank space where he supposed Kranzgrad to be, and he envisioned himself inking it into existence one day.

"It's hopeless…" he muttered. Gathering all of the emperor's papers together, he turned his back on the map, trying to put the image of Kranzgrad burning out of his mind.

Leaving the emperor's room, Hans was confronted by the metallic sounds of sword upon armor. He went downstairs and saw Lord Haddock locked in combat with a stuffed dummy, which wore plating, chain mail, and a helmet. After his first campaign in Europa, he had returned concerned about his inability to fight man-to-man, and had promptly begun practicing swordsmanship.

"Aha! You might think you have me cornered, but could it be the other way round?" Taking his broadsword, he held the dummy on point. "A duel? Of course, the only way to preserve our honor! Draw your sword!"

Hans peered around the corner, watching the spectacle with amusement - an emotion rare to him now. Toothless also seemed aroused by the action, and leapt back and forth across the room, wriggling in excitement.

"You can't hide anymore, you fiend! You thought you could get away with burning down the Library of Berk, or stealing the Book of Dragons?"

Lord Haddock was having way too much fun with his fantasy. He listed off a long list of offenses against his imaginary foe, and punctuated each one with an attack. The sunlight glinted off the steel of the sword, which the emperor wielded now with an expert flourish.

"Ha! Aha!" A broad grin lit up Lord Haddock's face as he twirled around the armored dummy, parrying imagined blows. Finally he thrust under the armpit. "Gotcha!"

With the display over, Hans stepped forward. "My lord?"

The emperor startled as he realized Hans was in the room. "Oh, I, I - How long were you standing there?!"

Hans cringed at the demand. The light-hearted atmosphere had shattered. "I just came down now, I finished what you gave me."

He held out the collection of maps, and Lord Haddock snatched them away before giving a harsh glare. "Is it all accurate?"

"Yes, my lord."

"I'll go up there and check."

"Yes, my lord, it's as accurate as I can make it."

The emperor refused to relent in his scowl. Hans gulped, again conscious of the metal bound around his neck. He glanced at the Night Fury, which just stared back. His stomach was starting to churn, and he prayed that he wouldn't have to vomit.

"Lady Hofferson will be here soon. Start making dinner. And keep an eye out for Gerda."

Relieved from Lord Haddock's scrutiny, Hans immediately began setting cod to fry. The emperor paced around the room, practicing lunging with his blade, or making swift cuts through the air, or absent-mindedly twirling it in his fingers. Toothless, meanwhile, began sneaking up on Hans, who had control of the fish basket.

Hans watched as the Night Fury came up, and left the basket lid open. When he turned around again, the dragon had two fish caught in his mouth.

"Alright, you've had your snack." Hans snorted gently as Toothless slunk off with his prize. He had at first been terrified of the dragon, until he realized that as long as he was willing to look the other way when the Night Fury was hungry, the two could maintain a tranquil relationship. In fact, the dragons in general seemed to be very docile creatures - when they were not acting on the emperor's orders.

A short time later, the front door opened, and Astrid came in.

"Hey everyone." She shrugged off her coat and laid it over one of the seats, then embraced Lord Haddock.

"Good afternoon, Lady Hofferson." Hans made sure to greet her.

"Hey." The emperor melted before her, a youthful charm coming into his eyes. "How were the dragons today?"

"Oh, same as always, they're going good. I really think they've taken a liking to me. One of the Nadders, especially. I can see why you like them so much!"

"Yeah, dragons will be there for you when no one else will." He gave a fond look at Toothless. "They never turn your back on you, they never give up on you."

Hans noticed that Astrid looked a tad uncomfortable. Lord Haddock, meanwhile, seemed too focused on other matters.

"Here, I'll go put this away," he gestured to the dummy, "check on the Waters, and I'll be right back down. The thrall is cooking dinner, it should be ready soon."

"Alright, go ahead."

The emperor took his equipment and strode up the stairs, Toothless following behind. After his door closed, Astrid came over to Hans, and they both stared into the fire. His stomach continued to churn, the nausea worsening.

"How did he treat you today?"

"Good." Hans kept watching the cod, which sat in a small pan. "Hasn't struck me."

"Did he give you lunch?"

No answer.

"No, then. Add another fish in the pan."

Hans hesitated. His chest began to clench.

"Empress' orders, you need to eat."

"Thank you, my lady."

"Hans, please."

"Sorry - Astrid. It's just, when Lord Haddock is around, and I-"

"No, it's okay." She was watching his face, he could see it from the corner of his eye, but he kept his gaze on the fish. "It's okay, I...I can't imagine what you're going through. And, I'm sorry."

Hans' heart clenched tighter and tighter. "Why do you treat me like this?"

"Wha...What do you mean? I've been trying my best to keep you from Hiccup at his worst, and-"

"That's what I mean. I don't…" His grip on the frying pan trembled. "Why do you even care? I tried to kill him, and I almost killed you. I don't...deserve your kindness...I'm a miserable human being. Why else would I lose my home, my love? My freedom, my dignity? I deserve nothing, I…" He choked, and he felt his eyes well up.

Astrid reached over and took his cheek in her hand, slowly turning his face so that she could see directly into it. Her brilliant blue eyes were filled with pity and sadness. She rubbed her thumb over an ugly bruise on his cheek, one that still smarted: a reminder of the danger of not cleaning Lord Haddock's room to his liking.

"I care," she whispered. "because no one should have to live in fear. You did what you did because you were afraid."

Her soft words only pained Hans more. He turned his head away and returned his gaze to the fish. For some reason, he felt that it would hurt less if she was also harsh to him. As it was, he felt indebted - Astrid still treated him with dignity, even after he had tried to kill her lover, and nearly killed her by accident. At least if she also mistreated him, it would feel like an eye had been exchanged for an eye. Now he just felt riddled with guilt and shame.

They stayed silent for a while, Hans tending the food, until a knock sounded on the door.

"I'll get it." Astrid got up before Hans could react, and greeted the person outside. "Gerda, nice to see you. Come in, I'll go get Hiccup for the sheep."

"Thank you." Sure enough, Hans turned around and saw the poor woman holding a sheep in her arms. It bleated in annoyance, demanding to be put down. Gerda's head peeped over the wool, her sharp eyes searching for any potential threat. She came and sat by Hans, always looking straight ahead. Gerda seldom spoke, and when she did it was with as few words as possible. Her face seemed permanently paralyzed in a state of caution and worry.

_Now if anyone deserves pity, _Hans thought as he looked at Gerda, _it's her._

The meal was now almost complete when Astrid descended the stairs, followed by Lord Haddock.

"Alright, you got one." He rubbed his hands together and took the sheep. "The Waters of Life should work this time, but you're just gonna help me make sure."

"My lord," Hans broke in from the fireplace, "dinner is almost ready."

"I know! I'll just be a minute, don't start until I get back!"

Hans shrank away at the outburst, watching as the emperor stormed back up to his room. It was a long time before he spoke up again: "Gerda, please help me set the table. My lady, if you'd like to be seated…"

The table had been graced with a rich scarlet cloth, adorned with golden plates and chalices, and the food sat ready to eat when Lord Haddock finally came down, the Night Fury in tow.

"Well, that's that." He gestured upstairs. "I'll check after dinner, see if we have an old sheep or a lamb." Sitting at the table, the emperor looked at Hans, then Gerda. "Go on then, do your work."

Gerda quickly took a small golden fork, cut a piece from the emperor's cod, and swallowed it. She washed that down with a gulp from his chalice. Then she repeated for Astrid, all while Lord Haddock watched and waited.

After a few seconds passed without her falling dead, he declared, "No poison. Good. You're dismissed for the night." Gerda bowed and left the house without another word.

Now the two began their meal, while Hans and Toothless watched. Or rather, Toothless began sniffing by the fireplace, searching for more fish. Hans came over, and with a sigh flipped the basket lid open. The dragon happily dug in.

"You're welcome."

Lord Haddock ended up finishing his meal first, and stood up. "Thrall!" Hans jerked around. "Stop messing around and make yourself useful!" With that he retreated back to his room.

Hans approached the table, where Astrid was still eating. She looked up at him.

"Here, sit down." She pushed her plate towards him - a large portion of her cod remained untouched.

"My la...Astrid, I can't-"

"Eat it," she insisted. "For my sake."

Yielding, Hans took up the fork and had a cautious bite. The taste prompted him to have a second bite with far more enthusiasm.

"Starving you won't accomplish anything." Astrid smiled as she watched him.

The door upstairs opened.

Hans nearly fell backwards out of his seat, and Astrid quickly grabbed the plate and placed it in front of herself again. He scrambled for the emperor's leftovers, trying to make himself appear dutiful, but relaxed a bit when he saw Lord Haddock's grim face. He held the sheep again in his arms, where it now slumped lifeless.

"It didn't work?" Astrid asked.

He shook his head. "I feel like I'm getting closer, but...well, maybe the eighteenth batch will work." Slinging the sheep over his shoulder, he went through the front door and outside to dispose of it.


	22. Past, Present, and Yet to Come

Astrid was just finishing getting dressed when she heard a knock on her door. "Come in!"

Hans stepped into the room, his gaze landing everywhere except Astrid's eyes. "My lady-"

"Astrid."

"...sorry. Astrid, is there anything you need right now?"

"I'm good, Hans. I'm just heading down to the stables. Where's Hiccup?"

"Lord Haddock is away on business. I'm just looking to ensure everything is attended to before he returns…"

"I'm good, really."

Hans nodded, bowed, and left, turning to go into Hiccup's room. Astrid followed, trying to get a good look at him. She leaned against the frame of the door as he began flattening the sheets on the bed. His skin seemed pale, rather sickly…Making a mental note, Astrid came over to Hiccup's desk, still cluttered with papers, and reached for them.

"Oh, please!" Hans' tone became frantic. "Please, Lord Haddock doesn't want his papers touched."

Looking up, Astrid saw the bruise on his cheek, the last remnants still fading away, and the dread carved into his face. "It's alright," she assured him. "I'll let him know I was in here. It'll be fine."

He didn't appear totally convinced by this, and still seemed uncomfortable when Astrid finally returned to rummaging through the documents. So many of them were maps, with shading and arrows crossing every which way. A good portion, also, had furious scribbles, which with a great deal of effort could be translated into notes on the Waters of Life: ingredients were named, crossed out, replaced, with measurements constantly shifting. Astrid sincerely hoped he would never actually succeed in this effort. The last thing Hiccup needed was to augment his perceived superiority with immortality, especially since it seemed his death was the only way his conquest could be stopped.

There were also blueprints; Hiccup had resurrected his ingenuity for war machines, like the one that had shot down Toothless, and already had several designs built to completion.

"The Mutilator…" she read aloud as she picked up the sketch. Out from the past, she recalled him having invented this machine before, when they were still fighting dragons. Of course, dragons were no longer his target, and she didn't want to picture what use the Mutilator would be put to now…

As she dug further into the pile, she realized something very distinctive about its makeup. Among the designs and plans and notes, Hiccup's art was seldom to be found. No longer did his idle drawings or poetic musings grace the tabletop; his mind seemed devoted elsewhere. After a great effort, though, Astrid finally found a sketch of her face. The faded smudges suggested it had been done a while ago, but its presence comforted her some.

"Ohhh…" Astrid turned to face Hans, who had been watching over her shoulder. He retreated. "I-I'm sorry, I was curious, please don't tell Lord-"

"I'm not him." Astrid spoke with conviction. "I won't tell, I promise. Here, would you like to see? As empress, I think I have the authority."

Hans reluctantly took the drawing and looked it over. "It's wonderful, the shading, the texture of it...I would never have guessed that Lord Haddock was an artist."

"Yeah, he's always been that way."

There was a long silence. Hans moved his mouth, as if struggling to ask a question.

"How long have you known him?"

"Oh, almost my whole life. You know, small island, we grew up together, it was impossible for us to not know each other."

"If you don't mind me asking…what was he like, when he was younger?"

Astrid stopped at this. "When Hiccup was younger…" she echoed. "Before he was Lord Haddock, he was...well, Hiccup. Scrawny boy, never very rough. Everyone else was learning how to wield an ax, and he was doodling the clouds, trying to find when the snow would come again. I don't know exactly when he fell for me, but when he did, he fell hard. And at first, I didn't feel the same way…"

"But one day," she continued after some introspection. "I found him with Toothless, and together we found the dragons' nest, but when I wanted to tell the village, he refused. That moment, I saw him with...with a drive that I didn't know he had. I saw that he could do great things, once he committed himself to it. But I think I was the only one who ever saw that in him. At least, until it was too late."

"Did you not see it before?" Hans asked, handing the paper back to her. "Did you not see any warning? Any sign that he would turn...?"

"No, no, he only ever acted tough to be accepted. Otherwise, he was the scrawny kid in a village of buff Vikings, the one who always messed everything up.. He was always on the outside, and he was different...and nobody let him forget it. He never really protested though, even when...even when people put him down at every turn. And I guess, one day, he just had enough of it."

"I think that was our mistake." Astrid concluded. "He was so quiet about it, he never really complained, and so we all thought he was happy with his lot in life. He was silent...and we forgot what he was bearing."

She had long ago stopped talking to Hans. Her own face stared up from the paper she clutched in her hands.

"I wish you could have known him back then. Like I said, he was so creative. I remember," she smiled at the memory, "when we were kids, there was this time where he liked to draw pictures of himself with others, and he would give them like presents - I think it was his way of trying to make friends. Snotlout tore his up, called it worthless, and the twins probably set theirs on fire. The rest of us kept ours for a while, but we didn't really care about them, and they got lost." Quiet again. "I wish I had taken better care of mine now."

_And this is the closest I'm going to get to a replacement_, she thought to herself. One drawing, out of a mountain of battle plans and war machines.

"...I, um," Hans spoke up. "I'm sorry, I've idled too long. I should get to work." Again, Astrid noticed his pale skin, his trembling demeanor.

"Actually, Hans," she stepped away from the desk. "I forgot, I need something from the market. When you're done up here, take this and get a loaf of bread." She took some coins and filled Hans' hand with gold - more than needed to buy a loaf. "And afterwards, get yourself something - some food, a blanket, anything you want."

"Oh, my lady…" He shook his head. "I-I can't possibly..."

"You just did. You don't have any say in the matter, except where you spend it. I'll tell Hiccup about it, he'll understand. I'll be back before he is, so don't worry." With that, Astrid left, going down the stairs. She felt at once pleased by her action, and also racked with guilt. She knew exactly where that money would go.

Hans had turned to drink.

Two months ago, when she had sent him out for a bit of leisure, he stayed out past sundown. Hiccup had been infuriated and went searching. Hans was found in the village alehouse, collapsed over a pile of glasses which reeked of beer. He had promptly received a harsh reprimand that included two blows to the face. Since then, several more incidents occurred where Hans would go missing for hours at a time, only to reappear, passed out, slumped against a tree or inside a barrel. Far more often, however, he would stumble back, still drunk.

Astrid could see him declining, his health failing. But at the same time, she knew why he did it, the desperation that drove him.

If a few hours of oblivion could free him from his waking nightmare, she would at least let him have that comfort.

* * *

><p>The path to the stables led through the village. Astrid walked along, the now-familiar lack of people greeting her. The only sign of human life she came across was a group of thralls trying to erect yet another statue of Hiccup. They all renewed their efforts as Astrid walked by, but she couldn't bring herself to look at them. Instead she only quickened her pace, wanting to get to the stables as quickly as possible-<p>

"Do you really think I care!?"

Hiccup's shout floated from a nearby window, prompting Astrid to pause. Creeping up and peering through, she saw him talking another, smaller man. Hiccup's head was turned just right so that he couldn't see Astrid watching him.

"Look, this deal is going to work for everyone. You make the furniture, and I get it sold. There's no problem, you get the money, and everyone's happy."

"But my lord, we can't make ONLY furniture!"

"Why not? Look, you have the most timber out of any other island in the archipelago. It only makes sense for you to specialize-"

"And not leave any farmland? No pastures? No clothes?"

"You can buy it from the traders. And my dragons will get you enough fish to eat."

"But what if you-"

The man caught himself, but not quickly enough. Hiccup leaned forward, and Astrid could see the quailing expression on the man's face.

"What if I…?"

"No-nothing, my lord…"

"What if I change my mind?" A low chuckle. "Then I suggest you show me enough respect so that I _won't _change my mind."

"No, but, my lord-"

He was cut off as Hiccup suddenly seized him by throat and pulled him close. His voice was cold. "Listen to me, you little worm. You are going to sign this deal. And if you don't, I will kick you off of Berk, and your village will be wiped off the map before you can sail your way back. Do you _understand_?!"

Hiccup shook him before releasing. The man gasped for breath as he fell to the floor.

"Now, do we have a deal?"

"My lord…"

"Do we have a deal?!"

"...yes, yes my lord.

"Good. I'm glad we could agree." Hiccup grabbed him by his shirt collar and hauled him to his feet. Then he paused, and grasped at something around the man's neck. He lifted off a gold chain, at the bottom of which hung a pendant with a green stone.

"My lord, please, I-"

"I think, with the trouble you had to put me through, you can spare this for your emperor."

"I...yes, my lord…"

It was at this point that the man spotted Astrid, and she quickly pressed flat against the wall beside the window, so that she couldn't be seen. At the same time, there was a knock on the door inside.

"Come in!" Hiccup yelled.

The door opened, and Astrid heard Fishlegs' voice.

"Uh, Lord Haddock, the soldiers are beginning to arrive for your speech tomorrow."

"Alright, have them camp by the forest. I'll make sure the dragons bring in enough food. Oh, and make sure to tell your assistant that I just closed the new trade deal, here."

Astrid didn't wait to hear Fishlegs' response - she had heard enough, and hurried off to the stables. Every minute, every second could be precious for her plan...

* * *

><p>"Here, here!"<p>

Astrid waved a large stick in the air, and the Deadly Nadder wriggled in excitement.

"Go!"

She hurled the stick as far as she could, and the dragon chased after it. Astrid couldn't help but laugh as the Nadder retrieved the toy and dropped it in front of her, staring down in eager anticipation.

"Alright, one more time, one more time." Astrid had repeated this at least twelve times already, but she didn't mind a few more.

The other dragons watched in amused leisure. They had warmed up to Astrid as well, but none had shown as much enthusiasm around her as the blue and yellow Deadly Nadder. After the two played for a while longer, the dragon finally tuckered out, and took to roosting on the ground like a bird. Astrid ran her fingers over the scales and spines, coming around in front. She rested her hand on the Nadder's nose horn; the dragon watched, then huffed gently before closing her eyes and resting.

"Wow…" Astrid stayed that way, her hand on the Nadder's snout, for a long time.

"She's really something, huh?"

Astrid whirled around as Hiccup walked up, smiling, with Toothless alongside him.

"I guess they ended up liking you after all." He pointed. "Is this the Nadder you told me about?"

"Yeah, she's really gotten close to me. And…" She put her hand on the dragon's nose horn again. "I guess I've gotten close to her."

Hiccup nodded. "Do you have a name for her?"

"Oh, er...I guess I didn't really think about that…"

"How about Stormfly? That's what I call her."

"Stormfly…" Astrid liked the way it rolled off her tongue. As she said it, the dragon opened her eyes again, as if answering. "I think she likes it!"

"Have you ridden her yet?"

"Have I…?" Astrid stepped back. "Well, no, I...of course I haven't."

"Why don't we change that today?" Hiccup beckoned her over beside the Nadder. "Stormfly, I hope you don't mind?"

The dragon just shifted her head slightly to see. Recognizing Astrid, she remained docile.

"Let's see, you get up there, watch the wings…watch the spikes, too."

Soon Astrid was perched on Stormfly's back, right between the wings and just before the scales gave way to the tail spines.

"Alright, let's get going!" Hiccup jumped on top of Toothless, and Stormfly stood.

"Woah woah woah!" Astrid began to slide back, and she wrapped her arms around the dragon's neck. "Wait wait, Hiccup! How do I hold on?!"

"Oh, uh…" he turned around. "I'll make you a saddle when I get back. For now, just...hold on any way you can. I'll catch you if I have to."

"You'll what?!"

"Come on, let's go!"

Toothless took off, followed by Stormfly, with Astrid screaming as the ground fell away. The rhythmic beating of the wings blasted the air around her, and the wind whipped her hair in a frenzy. Finally the climbing sensation fell away as they leveled out. Astrid refused to relinquish her grasp however, and kept her grip tight.

"Astrid!"

"What?!"

"Astrid," Hiccup was laughing, "open your eyes!"

She did, and found herself staring into her right elbow. As she lifted her head, though, her fear began to dissipate.

"Oh my gods…" she whispered.

Berk lay below them, the buildings miniaturized. Even the mighty statues became small and insignificant against the towering peak of the island, which now thrust itself towards them.

"Oh…"

Her arms trembling, Astrid sat up straighter, and slowly reached her hands to either side, mirroring Stormfly's wings. She laughed, and could feel her face wide with wonder.

"I can't believe it, this...this is amazing!"

"I know, right?!" Hiccup and Toothless flew just beside her and Stormfly.

"Now I know why you're always flying off everywhere with Toothless all the time." She laughed again. "Oh, it's so...I just feel so free!"

"Yeah, it's a very special place for me. And well, I'm glad you could join me up here." He smiled at her, as if he wanted to say something more. "Here, let's go up to the top of the peak."

The dragons slowly spiraled around until they reached the summit. There was just enough room for the dragons to land and Hiccup and Astrid to dismount.

"This is one of my favorite places. Here," he beckoned her to the edge. "Look."

Down below, the village gleamed in the sun. The white stone of the roads and buildings seemed to shine with a light of their own.

"It's beautiful," Hiccup whispered. He glanced sidelong at Astrid. "Even though it's not the prettiest thing I can see from up here."

"Hmm, I would punch you," Astrid joked, "except that you might fall off the cliff."

"Yeah, that'd put a damper on my plans. For the day!" He suddenly scrambled to add. "For the rest of the day, yeah. Yeah, that'd really, really…"

Astrid looked over at him. He seemed to be fidgeting, and he was getting into that awkward state he resorted to when under pressure. He really was kind of adorable when he got like this...

"So, I, uh…" He gestured again. "Really lovely view."

"Yes, yes it is." She nodded out of politeness, playing along to who-knew-what.

"Yeah, my hard work's really paid off. Berk's come a long ways. And when I find the Waters of Life, I'll be able to see Berk through until Ragnarok."

And here was reality butting in again, reminding her of what Hiccup was now. "Yeah, you will…" she answered quietly.

"Emperor until the end of time." He bit his lip. "It would be a very lonely position."

Astrid saw an opportunity. "It would be, I think. And I mean, everything, everyone has their time. Perhaps it'd be best to just let life go?"

"No, no." Hiccup shook his head. "No, I...I don't want that. I want to stay in _this _life. But I can't do it alone."

Astrid finally saw where he was going with this. She clasped her hands over her mouth as he continued.

"When I finish the Waters, I'm going to make enough for the three of us: me, you, and Toothless. And, on top of that, I guess, well, uh…I want to make our relationship official." He took his sword from its sheath, and handed it to Astrid.

"Lady Hofferson, would you be willing to become Lady Haddock?"

A ring sat upon the sword's hilt.

"Oh...oh my gods…" Tears welled up in her eyes. "Hiccup, I…" Her throat was choking up. "I…" she sniffed. "Yes, yes I would." And she accepted the sword.

His face melted into a relieved smile, and his eyes shone warmly as he wrapped her in a hug, and proceeded to give her a passionate kiss. As they embraced, Astrid could feel tears streaming down her cheeks, even as she clutched the sword with one hand and Hiccup with the other.

Hiccup broke the kiss first after what seemed a solid minute. "Oh! I almost forgot, I got something for you." He reached into a pocket on his armor. "I saw it and I thought you would like it."

"Oh, Hiccup, that's so-" Astrid froze.

Hanging from his fingers, a golden pendant swung from a chain. In its center was suspended a green stone.

"For the loveliest woman in all the world." He smiled as he offered it.


	23. A Second Chance

Hans looked up behind him. Lord Haddock - or rather, a marble statue of Lord Haddock, stood behind him. The effigy towered over everyone, with Hans barely coming up to its ankle. It portrayed the emperor holding his head high, puffing his chest out, with his helmet cradled between his elbow and torso.

Turning back to face front, Hans saw the real Lord Haddock beside him, wearing his ceremonial fur cloak, watching columns of soldiers march up. Counting the rows, Hans realized there were over a thousand men gathered here. Most were armed with swords, some with bows, and a few pushed large wooden wheeled machines that performed all manner of terrifying and deadly functions. At the front of each column, and spaced regularly throughout, men carried aloft the banner of Berk, dark green with a red dragon emblazoned upon it. All around, dragons watched the maneuvers with some puzzlement. Toothless stood on the other side of the emperor, his head turning from the marching men to Lord Haddock and back again, all the while seeming confused.

Now the last column was marching into place, and with one motion all of the soldiers knelt on one knee and bowed their heads. "Hail, to the Dragon Overlord!"

Lord Haddock motioned for them to rise, and a smile came over his face. "I thank you for answering my call. You're all very, very important to the future of Berk."

"As emperor, I've been able to lay claim to vast lands, and more quickly than was ever imagined before. What ancient rulers used to accomplish only after years of strenuous sacrifice, I've achieved within weeks with the help of dragons, and Berk is poised now to assume its role as head of a new order."

"But claims have to be defended, and order has to be maintained. For that, I cannot use dragons. They can scatter armies and seize cities, but they act only as a hammer to shatter what exists, not as a paste to rebuild what remains. That is why I need you."

"I know you have left your homes, left behind families, and I realize and appreciate that sacrifice. For some of you it is difficult, but I ask you to focus not on what you've left behind, but what you will gain going forward! You will be immortalized as heroes of Berk, the ones who rebuilt the world and brought it into its final age. You will be showered with honor and wealth when you return! Your families will be distinguished throughout history, and I shall personally provide for them until you come back."

"And with that, I send you west to Albion! They are broken, searching for a new order. Let us give it to them! The monarchy of Albion is weak and fragile, but we can show them a stronger, more resilient structure. With dragons to provide for them, and me to oversee them, they will have a brighter future to look forward to! We shall show them the strength of Berk, and then welcome them with open arms into our empire!"

He raised both of his arms in the air and proclaimed, "Go now! And show the world what dragons and Vikings can do together!"

With that, the soldiers turned and marched to the docks, going column by column. Lord Haddock watched them with a haughty smile, one that Hans couldn't bear to look at. He looked down at the ground, the sound of hundreds of feet pounding the ground in rhythm failing to give him any comfort.

"Thrall!"

Hans suddenly looked up at Lord Haddock's voice. The emperor was approaching him, his attention devoted to trying to readjust some straps on his sleeves.

"Lady Hofferson and I will be planning our marriage back home." His voice stayed grim and cold. "The last thing I want is for _you _to be there. And she convinced me to let you have some time off."

"Oh...my lord, I thank you-"

"Don't." He shot a dirty glance. "I wanted to have you hauling stones all day, but your empress convinced me otherwise. Thank her, I don't want your filthy words for myself, but if she still values them…"

Hans stood, unsure how to respond.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Get out of here!" Lord Haddock swung his hand out, almost swiping Hans across the face.

Hans ducked and backed away, briefly catching the gaze of the Night Fury, who had a solemn and, it seemed, concerned look.

"And so help me," the emperor shouted as Hans scampered off, "if you get drunk again and don't come home, I'll smack the alcohol out of you!"

* * *

><p>"A beer, please."<p>

Hans collapsed over his table at the alehouse and waited for his drink. Every ounce of his being felt drained, and he tried to will himself to simply melt into the unyielding wood of the table and simply disappear. But as much he tried and begged and wished, his muscles still ached and his mind remained fuzzily aware of his own fatigue.

At least soon, he would dive into that blissful nirvana, and for a while all thoughts of dragons and emperors and armies would be washed from his mind…

"Hey."

Someone shook his shoulder, dragging Hans out of his lethargy. He looked up and saw Fishlegs standing over him.

"Lord Haddock called for you, he said it's important."

Hans groaned. "But he just said…"

"Come on." Fishlegs watched as Hans peeled himself from his seat.

"Do you have any idea how long this will take?" Hans' focus stayed on his beer, which he hated being torn from. Any moment it would be at his table…

"It may be a while," Fishlegs didn't look at him as they exited the alehouse. "C'mon, he's waiting for us."

Hans trudged after, following him past several buildings, then between two of them, until they were cut off from the streetview.

"Fishlegs," Hans asked as they turned a corner, "what does he even-"

He felt a sharp blow at the base of his skull, and then blackness.

* * *

><p>Hans woke with a splitting ache in the back of his head, and for a second he wondered if his last memory was a dream, and if he was simply hungover again. He was sitting upright in a chair, but when he tried to get up, he found his arms tied down.<p>

"Hello Hans."

Sitting in front of him was Fishlegs, illuminated from behind with a great number of candles. He had his hands clasped in front him, leaning forward intently, but otherwise Hans could not see much about him; his features were silhouetted in darkness.

"Hans, I need you to listen to me, very carefully." His voice was serious, even more so than when he talked to the emperor. "What I'm about to tell you is very important and very secret. It is so secret, that even I don't know all of the parts or how they fit together. We cannot afford to have anybody alerting Hiccup to our presence. And if you try to do so, I will deny everything and pass it off as you trying to undermine his administration. And I'm sure you can easily tell which of us he will believe more - or rather, which he will distrust less. Do you understand everything I've told you so far?"

Hans felt himself in a state of something like shock, his breath starting to come heavier as he began to frantically imagine what he had stumbled into. Unable to think of any alternatives for himself, he nodded. "Yes, yes."

Fishlegs took a deep breath. "Are you happy?"

The simplicity of the question took Hans by surprise. "Am I…?"

"Are you happy with how your life has turned out so far, with Hiccup? Would you say he has made things better for you?"

"My life…"

Hans could see the wide open plazas of Kranzgrad again, the sound of idle chatter and debate and gossip floating across the streets. He thought of the bright flags which flew from the towers, the bright sun that cast its golden glow everywhere it looked. He saw the outlying countryside, pastoral and serene and fertile. He saw the woodshop, and felt the beak of the pine eagle, and turned around to look into the eyes of Arthenia…

"I lost my life." Hans found his eyes wet. "Lord Haddock took everything from me. My dignity, my future, my home...and sometimes I wonder whether I'd rather die than continue."

Fishlegs nodded in silence. "Now, I'm about to offer you a chance to change that." He leaned forward a little more. "I brought you here to offer you a very important role in the Defenders of Berk. We're a group that organized just a little after you arrived here. See, for years we've been...uncomfortable with Hiccup's leadership, but he's always been competent and, to an extent, fair, so we've tried to make do.

"The past three months, however, things have gotten worse - thralldom, the subjugation of so many people, and worst of all, no sign that he's slowing down. If anything, he gets worse day by day. And that's why we formed: we need to stop Hiccup."

"No, no." Hans knew where this was going, and he tried everything in his power to stop it. "I'll tell you why he's getting worse. It's because I tried to stop him before. I tried to kill him, and he ended up like this. I failed, and look who paid the price: Waltheson is dead, and his son fatherless. The people of Carlhorse, I've seen the reports, I know what measures Lord Haddock is putting them through. If I fail again, things will only get even worse!"

"But that's why we need you." Fishlegs remained cool and steadfast. "We know that you've tried before, we know a lot about you, more than you realize. And we know that you were once willing to make an attempt against his life. We need you to be willing to make another."

"No, no I can't." Hans pled, desperate to not get sucked in. "Don't you see, I'll only make things worse!"

"Or you can make them better."

"But I-"

"Hans, listen to me." Even though his face was concealed, Hans could practically envision the grim expression that Fishlegs wore. "You did not make Hiccup this way. You might have sped up the process, but he was already on this road. If it wasn't you, something else would have sent him over the edge. We've all come to agree on that, and now we regret not acting sooner."

"But we can't let our regret stop us from taking action now, and neither can you. Even if it was your fault, Hans, you won't make anything better by drinking yourself to death." Hans felt a biting shame at these words. "As it is, Hiccup is on the verge of taking the world under his control. When he cries out 'Glory to Berk', I'm sure you're smart enough to realize he means glory to himself. And rumors are already floating around about his experiments with the 'Waters of Life'. If you do nothing," Fishlegs' voice finally cracked with desperation, "everyone, every human being in the world, will spend their entire life under Hiccup's boot. Everyone, from now until Ragnarok. Does that sound comforting to you?"

Hans shook his head. "No, God no…"

"Then how can you possibly make things worse? Hans, you're in a vital position - as Hiccup's personal servant, you will be our road to him. You will be the reason we succeed, but only if we can count on you. Can we?"

Hans didn't answer at first, only dropping his eyes to stare at his lap. His own plot had collapsed so spectacularly, he didn't want to-

"We can take you home."

Hans looked up. "What?"

"Our group already has a plan on how to fill in after the emperor's death, to prevent a total collapse of order. And after we liberate the occupied territories, and the empire is dissolved, I will personally arrange for a ship to take you home to Kranzgrad."

All he had wanted in the first place.

"Hans, we need you. Please."

Hans took a deep breath. He couldn't, he wouldn't. It was impossible, futile.

"I'll do it."

He still couldn't see Fishlegs face, but he was sure a smile had appeared on it.

"Wonderful." He got up, and taking a dagger cut the ropes that had bound Hans. "I'll take you back to Hiccup, explain that I needed to talk to you about some business, and I'll ask to take you tomorrow overnight to put together some commerce maps. That'll be our chance to meet the head of the group, and the people you'll be working with."

"Fishlegs," Hans only had one more question - at least, only one question that he could adequately word. "How many people are there, altogether?"

Now Fishlegs could be seen in the light, and Hans could indeed confirm a slight smile on his face.

"I don't know. Like I said, so secret, even I don't know everything."


	24. Nightmares and Revelations

"Where is he?"

Hiccup growled as he paced the floor. Hans had been gone all night, and Astrid knew that once he returned, he would have a lot to answer for.

"I don't know how I let you convince me to just let him go off like that. All he does is drink until he starts crying beer out of his eyes."

Astrid stood by Toothless, and they both watched him go back and forth, wall to wall, muttering and cursing.

"Lazy, incompetent, useless sack of...can't even be bothered to obey my simplest...what, does my word just not matter to him? Is the emperor not _important _enough to listen to?"

"Hiccup, I don't think he thinks that." Astrid tried to interrupt his pacing, standing in front of him. "He'll be back soon, I'm sure of it."

"He should be back _now_."

"Here, if he's not back soon, I'll go look for him." As the words left her mouth, though, a knock sounded at the door. Hiccup stormed past her and threw it open.

"Where have you been-" He paused as he realized he was hollering at Fishlegs.

"Uhhh…good morning, my lord?"

"Oh…" Hiccup shook his head. "I thought you were someone else."

He motioned for Fishlegs to come inside. Astrid watched as he stepped through the door - and then saw Hans come in behind.

"There you are!" Hiccup jabbed his finger at Hans. "You had better have a good excuse for spending the whole night out!"

Before Hans could answer, though, Fishlegs stepped beside him. "No no, it's alright! He was with me, we were working on a project together."

Hiccup turned to stare at Fishlegs. "What project?"

"I've been gathering information about commerce," Fishlegs explained quickly, "and I thought that I could organize it all into a map to better plan out trade. And I just asked Hans to help me with it, and we ended up working late at night. I know I should have asked you, but…"

Fishlegs trailed off, quailing slightly at Hiccup's stone face. Astrid watched as his eyes slid over Hans, then Fishlegs.

"You should have told me before you took my thrall for your own use." He jerked his head, indicating for Hans to step over to him. "And don't you have your own assistants?"

"Well, yes, but none of them are good at maps. One of them said that Hans was skilled, and so I looked for him. I'm sorry if I caused any trouble."

"You almost did." He glared at Hans as he said this. "Now don't you have work to do?"

"Actually…" Astrid could see Fishlegs smile awkwardly, "I didn't exactly come to bring Hans home. I just realized you would be...worried about him, and so I thought I would let you know where he was. But we were still working, actually, on the maps."

Hans, during all of this, hadn't said a word.

Hiccup rested his hand on his chin, apparently thinking it over, and Astrid decided to chime in.

"I think it's a good idea. I mean, if those maps get finished, it will be more convenient for you, Hiccup."

Hiccup gave her a sidelong glance, then turned back. "How long will it take?"

"Just through tonight, and we should be done." Fishlegs clasped his hands nervously. "Not very long at all."

More silence. Then Hiccup smiled thinly. "Fine. I want the maps by tomorrow."

"Yes, my lord. Thank you, my lord." Fishlegs gave a slight bow, then left with Hans in tow. Hiccup closed the door behind them, and stared at the wood for a moment.

"Well," Astrid clapped her hands together. "Since we've figured that out, I'm going to head down to the dragon stables, and spend some time-"

"Oh, actually, actually," Hiccup interrupted her, "I had some ideas, for the wedding, and I really wanted to show you. See, I was thinking we could have it in the village center, and I want you to see all the plans that I came up with! I really think you'll like them."

She nodded. "Alright, we'll stop by the village center first." She suddenly gave a sniff. "Actually first, you go change. You've been wearing that outfit all night, and you're starting to smell."

Hiccup chuckled. "Okay, okay, I'll be right back down." He went upstairs to his room, and Astrid sat downstairs to wait, feeling torn - a very familiar sensation by now. She had to play along with him as long as she needed to, but whenever he got excited over their wedding, it pained her inside.

She had no intention of marrying him, and as long as everything went well, she wouldn't have to - Hiccup would be defeated long before their wedding. At the moment, though, she had to just go along with what he wanted.

At least, until she could get the dragons on her own side.

Almost as if on cue, Toothless nuzzled her arm, and she laid her hand on the top of his head. "Hey Toothless, you alright?"

He warbled softly, and looked at her with big soulful eyes. He knew something was wrong, she could feel it...and she could tell that the other dragons were also beginning to sense something off about their alpha. That's what she needed, that's what she needed to build off of.

They had to trust her more than they trusted Hiccup. Once Astrid reached that point, she knew that she could break Hiccup's solitary control of the dragons. And from there, she would be able to stop him, by whatever means necessary...

And it was here, when she thought about how far she would have to go to stop Hiccup, that she tried to keep her thoughts from going any further. Later, she would think of it later.

As she shook herself from that mindset, Astrid became aware that Hiccup had not yet come down from his room. She sighed and stood, going up the stairs.

"Hey, are you dressed yet?" She began to push open his door.

"No, no! Not yet, give me some privacy."

"Do you at least have pants on?"

"Yeah, just gotta get my boots…"

Astrid rolled her eyes. "You know, if we're going to get married, you're going to have to learn to get over your insecurities. I can stand to see you without any boots on, nothing particularly shocking."

"Just...hold on…" A few seconds later, she heard his footsteps cross over to the door, and he stood before her. "Ready."

"Finally."

* * *

><p>Hours later, Astrid dismounted Stormfly and led her back to the stables. The sun had set by now, and a half moon hung low in the sky.<p>

"Good flying, girl." Astrid patted the Nadder's snout, running her fingers over the scales. The bright yellow eyes stared at her, twinkling with some inner gladness that made Astrid smile. "Come on, let's get you to sleep."

The other dragons woke as Astrid came in, and greeted her with cheerful expressions - at least, as far as she could interpret on their reptilian faces. At the same time, however, they had a weariness in their eyes, and several battle wounds scarred their bodies. An endless cycle of conquest had begun to wear them down, and Astrid knew that Hiccup was pushing them harder and harder. That's probably why the dragons were happy to see her - Astrid never ordered them into battle.

She hoped that that goodwill also translated into authority that she could apply, because if it did, she could overthrow Hiccup that very moment. Get the dragons together, defy his command, even get the other villagers their own dragons - anything to fragment his power.

But how could she?

Even now, after all he had done, after becoming what he had, he still reminded her of Hiccup the believer, the inventor, the dreamer. And she wasn't prepared to let him go completely. She had her contingency plan set, but she couldn't bring herself to activate it first. At least, not yet…

She had gotten so lost in thought again that she didn't hear Toothless roaring at first.

"Wha-what?" She startled as Toothless bolted into the stables, hollering and whining. "Toothless? Where's Hiccup?"

The Night Fury looked outright terrified, and he tried to shove Astrid towards the door, jerking his head as if pleading with her to follow.

"What's wrong? Woah!" She felt herself being tossed up as Toothless came around behind her and scooped her over his head and onto his back. "Woah, c'mon, c'mon! What's going on!?"

The dragon now sprinted at an incredible speed, and Astrid could hear him snorting and panting. They drew near the house, and she jumped off.

She could hear Hiccup upstairs. Screaming.

"Hiccup!" Astrid dashed inside, and was met with a foul odor. A stew had been placed over the fire, and it had cooked for far too long. Ignoring it, Astrid went up the stairs two at a time and threw Hiccup's door open.

He was hunched over his desk, no longer screaming, but his breathing came heavy and fast. His hands clenched on the tabletop.

"Hiccup?" Astrid approached him, slowly stretching out her hand. "Hiccup, what's wrong?"

He didn't move, but his breathing intensified.

"Hiccup?"

She finally touched his back, and he whirled around. Astrid jumped back, terrified by what she saw. His eyes were bloodshot, and his cheeks red and puffy, shiny with tears. And his face - she had never seen him more terrified, more despairing in her life.

"I-I-I didn't mean it…"

More tears fell as he choked out these words.

Astrid felt her own breath catch. "Didn't mean what?"

"I didn't mean it, I was...I wasn't thinking, I don't know why…" His eyes suddenly rolled back, and he slumped to the ground.

"No!" Astrid caught him, and turned him around so that he rested on his back. That's when she saw the bowl by her feet - half-filled with some other concoction of his, spilled across the ground. Under the desk, a sheep was cowering fear. "Hiccup, what did you give yourself?!"

"No please!" He suddenly shouted, and with a quivering finger he pointed above Astrid. She whirled around, but no one was there. "I'm sorry! But you, you were...I know! I could have, but I didn't! Oh gods, no, go away!"

"Oh Thor…" Astrid stood and began desperately combing over his desk. "Come on, what did he take, what did he do to himself?"

He suddenly screamed, prompting her to turn again. "Nooo! You two!" He pointed at the far wall. "It wasn't my fault! It wasn't! You shouldn't have…" He winced. "I know, I know, I KNOW!" He covered his face with his hands and rolled over, sobbing.

Astrid gave up looking for solutions on the table, and knelt back down. "Hiccup, come on, come on! It's me, it's Astrid!" Glancing up, Astrid could see Toothless peering at them. He seemed heartbroken, watching his person go through whatever this was. "Hiccup, whoever you're seeing, they're not real. They're not real! I'm real! Can you hear me?!"

But he still didn't focus on her. He kept shaking his head, side to side, his green eyes refusing to lock onto her. "Make them go away…" he moaned, and he clutched to her like an infant. "Oh, make them go away!" She could feel his chest heaving for urgent breaths, and placing her hand over his heart, she could feel his pulse racing.

"Oh no…" She tried to get him up, and ended up heaving him across the room towards his bed. He slowly turned his head to the side.

"No…" He tore from her grasp and collapsed onto his knees, pointing his hands towards the door. "No, not you, please! No, you, you tried to…" He crawled forward a bit. "No, you don't understand! I was...I'm not like that! Please, come back, I'm sorry! I'm not, I'm not a monster! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He stayed on his knees, letting his words run into renewed sobbing.

"Come on, come on, it's okay..." Astrid tried to get him up again. His crying escalated into pained wailing, and he clung to her.

"Oh gods, oh gods!" He fell onto the bed, and Astrid tried to turn him around the right way.

"Shhhhhh, it'll be alright, it'll be alright." She began removing his boots, the right one first. "Just rest for a bit, maybe that'll work. Can you sleep for me? Can you-"

She paused.

She had taken off his left boot.

And now she knew why he never took them off in front of her.

* * *

><p>Astrid waited downstairs until morning, not sleeping. How could she? Even as Toothless curled up beside her, she kept vigil. The day finally broke through the window, and some time after that Hiccup came downstairs.<p>

"Oh, morning." Astrid heard Toothless wake at the sound of Hiccup's voice. She sat with her back to him. "Ugh, I got a terrible headache, augh."

"Hiccup…" His nonchalant attitude surprised her. "Do you remember anything last night?"

"Last night?" He exhaled as he considered it. "Not really, I tried the potion and...I guess it didn't work."

"No, it didn't. It made you…" She considered whether to tell him the truth. "It knocked you out, so I helped you into bed."

"Oh, thanks, I-" He suddenly cut off. "Ohhhhh…"

She heard him approaching, and she turned her head away.

"Astrid. Please, talk to me."

She sniffed. "Me, talk to you? Why didn't _you _talk to _me_? Why didn't you tell me that you lost your leg?"

"Please, it's not what you think."

"Well what am I supposed to make of it?!" She stood up and turned on him. "Now I know why you always keep your clothes on, why we have separate rooms. I can't believe you put so much effort into lying to me. You lied to me," she repeated, "you _lied _to me Hiccup Horrendous Haddock! And you were going to marry me! What, was it going to be your present to me? 'Happy first night together! Oh, and by the way, I lost one of my limbs! Surprise!'"

"No, Astrid, it's-"

"What was even the point of it?" She could see Toothless trying to edge his way out of the room. "What did you gain out of lying to me? Was it just another way to show off your power? Is the Emperor of Berk too high and mighty to be truthful to his fiance?!"

"No, that has nothing to do with this-"

"Then tell me what does! What DOES have to do with your lying?"

"Please, I…" He struggled to find words. "Astrid, it was not you. I promise, I swear, I...I hid it, yes, but I hid it from everyone, it's not you."

"But why would you even do that? When did you even lose it?!"

Hiccup shook his head. "Do you remember when I came back to Berk, when I first had the dragons with me?"

"Yeah…?"

"It was a few weeks before that.

"FIVE YEARS?!"

"And I hid it," he cut back in before she could continue, "because, well...what would people think of me?"

"Don't be ridiculous, lots of people have lost legs or arms-"

"Not other people, Astrid, me. What would people think of _me_, losing a limb? In fact," he became more sure now, and Astrid felt the energy of the conversation reversing, "what did people think of me back then? Let's play fill-in-the-blank. I was Hiccup the…?"

She didn't answer.

"Let me give you a few hints: Hiccup the loser. Hiccup the screw-up. Hiccup, the worst Viking Berk has ever seen. Did you know my father used those exact words when describing me? Worst Viking Berk has ever seen…" He shook his head. "Why would I expect a hero's welcome for losing my leg? People would just think I was weaker, easier to push around. And when I came back, my outfit and boots hid it well enough that no one saw, so I decided to just not tell them. So a better question, then, is why _would _I show it in the first place? Why would I make myself appear weak, especially when I have an empire to lead now?"

Astrid wet her lips. "It doesn't make you weak, Hiccup. You're still the same person as before. If anything, it makes you strong, for surviving it." She shook her head. "I won't ask you about how you lost it, but…" She sighed. "You should have trusted me. I wouldn't have thought you were weak. I would have even kept your secret for you, if you wanted. But this...you don't trust me."

"No, I do, I really-"

"Then why didn't you tell me?" Astrid felt her throat choke. "You should have been honest, but now I see you can't be honest with me. Are you keeping other secrets from me? Is there anything else you're not telling me?"

"No. Astrid, I promise you," he took her hands in his own, and his green eyes stared into her own, "I will never lie to you again. No more secrets, I will tell you everything. I'm so sorry. You would never keep anything from me, and I shouldn't have kept anything from you."

Astrid gasped as this last sentence sank in, and the full irony became apparent to her. She felt a stab in her stomach, and pulling her hands out of his grasp, she backed away from him.

"Astrid…?" He stepped forward. "Please."

She walked briskly out the door without another word.


	25. The Defenders of Berk

"Fine. I want the maps by tomorrow."

"Yes, my lord. Thank you, my lord." Hans watched as Fishlegs gave Lord Haddock a quick bow, and followed him as they both left. "Alright, I need to stop and send a message, let the others know we're going to meet them. Come on."

They proceeded to the Great Hall, the center of Berkian government. When they were just outside Fishlegs stopped.

"You go ahead and wait here. One of my assistants is in on our plan, so I'll have him run a message down to alert them that we're coming tonight. I'm also going to get the stuff we need."

Hans nodded in assent, and stood by the doors as Fishlegs went inside. He himself had barely had a chance to go inside, but from what Lord Haddock ordered, he knew the hall had been expanding to accommodate all kinds of functions, to exercise all manners of power. Hans stepped a little closer to the doorway, and suddenly two voices reached his ears.

"-know that we're going to be at his place a little while after nightfall. Can you send that?" This was Fishlegs' voice.

"Of course, I'll deliver it as soon as I can." This was a voice that Hans felt was familiar...but he couldn't quite place it.

"Thank you. Oh, and did you see where I put…" Fishlegs trailed off, and a short time later he finally emerged carrying a set of books and went down the steps back to the main village. Hans followed behind, quiet for a long time as they walked.

"So where are we going?" He finally asked.

"Back to my place," Fishlegs stated. "Where else? We have the maps to work on, remember?"

Another period of quiet "Are you sure Lord Haddock believed us? Do you think he-"

"Hans."

Fishlegs gave him a severe glance, which he understood to indicate silence. They finally reached his house, and when they both stepped inside Fishlegs closed the door, set down his materials, then went around shutting his windows until the space was dark.

"Hans," he said slowly, "you have to be very careful with what you say around here. We can't afford to be loose with words like you were!"

"I'm sorry," Hans breathed, "I didn't see anyone, so I thought…"

"It was a mistake, I understand." Fishlegs nodded. "But you have to understand, we only have a few mistakes we can spare. We think Hiccup's been recruiting spies to hunt down people like us. That's why we're so secretive: all it would take is a single clue to have him tearing apart Berk, trying to find us."

"Right, right." Hans felt like a fool now. "I'm just excited, I suppose."

"Alright, just be careful." Fishlegs took a flint and steel from a pouch around his waist, as well as a piece of touchwood. "Get some candles, they're on the shelf there."

Hans moved to retrieve them. "But I'm still curious, what are we doing here?"

"Like I told Hiccup, we're making maps." As he spoke, he struck the flint and steel together. "This gives us an alibi; in case we're questioned, we can say we were here, and if anyone stops by they can vouch for us. Plus, the maps will be useful anyways, after all of our trouble is over." He finally got a spark to catch. "After night falls, I'll take you to meet the group."

"But not all of them?"

"No, just the people we feel are important for you to know, and our leader." Fishlegs lit a candle and handed it to Hans. "It's good to have you with us, you're going to be key for our success."

"I…" Hans stared a moment at his candle's flame, mesmerized for a moment. "I'll try my best."

"That's all that any of us can do right now." Fishlegs had several more candles lit. "Come on, let's get some work done."

* * *

><p>Most of the afternoon was spent preparing the maps, with Fishlegs organizing population numbers and resource locations, and Hans filling in the data where it was appropriate. There was a break for a nap and meal, and for Hans to have a small mug of beer - Fishlegs wouldn't let him have more than that. The daylight fell and the dark of night rose up, and it was just as Hiccup tasted what he mistakenly thought to be the Waters of Life that Fishlegs prepared to go out again.<p>

"I think everyone's asleep now," he whispered. "Or most everyone. Come on."

Hans followed him through the village. They took no light, so the ghostly gloom pressed close to them, alleviated only slightly by the moon. Dragons that could not fit into the stables slept where they could, on rooftops or curled up at the sides of the pathways. Hans watched as they snorted and stirred in their slumber; their faces seemed troubled, even as they lay asleep.

"Come on."

Fishlegs beckoned for him to quicken his pace, and soon they were both outside of Berk. The stone-paved path trailed off to dirt, largely overgrown by grass, and their footsteps rustled and crunched, sounding in the silent night. Hans felt his breath quicken, afraid that they would be heard - then realized that his breathing might also be heard, and thus his anxiety was compounded.

Finally they turned around a rock face, and a small hut appeared up ahead. Several tiny fields sat in front of it, sprouting cabbages and rye. The windows were dark, but as the two approached the door, it opened before Fishlegs had the opportunity to knock.

"Did everything go alright?" Hans couldn't identify this voice, but it was very curt and bitter.

Fishlegs answered, "Hiccup doesn't suspect anything, at least from what I could tell. And we didn't see anyone when we walked here."

"Come in." Their host, whom Hans assumed to be the leader, hurried them through the door. Hans caught a glimpse at his face, peering furtively into the night for any sign of unwanted persons - he wore what seemed to be a perpetual scowl, and messy black hair framed his face. He had a heavy build and a tired feel around him. "Sit down." He closed the door, and the room was lit only through the moonglow in the windows - no fire burned in the place.

The whole hut only had one room, with a bed pushed against the back and a table closer to the front. They sat now at this table, with their host making a point to sit facing the door, which had a window facing out down the pathway. With the darkness of the house, one could easily peer outside, even from the table, and see anyone coming from far off. Hans and Fishlegs sat in two other chairs, and in the shadow Hans realized a fourth person sat at the table, someone small and slight.

"Alright, Hans," the leader spoke, "I don't like wasting time, so I'll get the formalities out of the way." His features were just barely illuminated as he spoke. "My name is Snotlout Jorgenson, and I am the head of the Defenders of Berk. Do you know who we are?"

Hans nodded, "Yes."

"Do you know what our mission is?"

"Yes...to kill Lord Haddock."

"Don't call him that!" Snotlout suddenly snarled. "He's not the 'lord' of anything. He's just a hiccup. Not Lord Haddock, Hiccup." He sighed. "But you're right, we're going to kill him, if you're willing to help us."

Hans gulped, and his fear blazed into his mind. His fear of failure...but now also of sloth, and what failing to act could bring.

"I will do what I can," he finally said.

"Swear it." Snotlout produced a dagger, and suddenly taking Hans' hand he sliced a small cut just below his thumb.

"Ach!" Hans snatched his hand away, staring at the cut as it stang and began to trickle blood. He watched Snotlout do the same on his own hand.

"Shake my hand." Hans did so, and felt Snotlout's blood ooze against his fingers. "Do you, Hans Hermann, agree to defend the people of Berk against tyranny and terror, by whatever means necessary?"

"I do." Hans felt himself growing stronger as he confirmed this.

"Do you vow to undermine Hiccup, the self-proclaimed emperor of Berk, and eventually bring him to his downfall?"

"I do."

"Do you promise to give up everything you have in order to achieve this?"

"I do."

"Do you understand that, if you are discovered, we will make no attempt to help you escape from jail, and you will face torture and death?"

"I…" This actually jarred Hans a bit. "I do."

"And finally, do you swear that, even in the face of pain and death at the hands of the man who calls himself the Dragon Overlord, you will not betray the Defenders and not reveal anything to him, even in exchange for your life?"

"I…" He took a deep breath. "I do swear it."

"Then I declare you pledged into the Defenders." Snotlout released his hand, and sat back in his seat. "Now that that's done, you know Fishlegs, and…" The fourth figure now sat forward, and was illuminated in the moonlight.

"Gerda!" Hans whispered as her frail figure lit up, "I-I can't believe it, I wouldn't have thought…"

"Good." Snotlout nodded. "If you didn't notice, then no one else probably did, either." He sniffed, and swiped at his nose with his thumb. "Hans, you're going to be very important, so listen to me, alright? Tomorrow night, we are going to poison Hiccup."

He set a vial on the table, which had a white powder inside. "If I were to consume even a lick of this, I would be dead within seconds."

"My God…" Hans stared at it. "How did you get it?"

"It took us weeks to save up for it, especially to keep it off the books. But we found a trader - I won't name him, for the sake of his own safety. All you need to know is that this is for you."

Hans took the vial with trembling fingers, and shivered as he imagined the toxins seeping through the glass and into his hand.

"Now, tomorrow you'll cook Hiccup and Astrid fish for dinner. When it's done, you'll cut most of it into strips. But for Gerda's safety," he pointed to her, "I also want you to cut some of the fish into smaller chunks. Then before you serve dinner, sprinkle the poison over the strips, but not the chunks."

Hans was starting to follow now. "Then Gerda taste-tests the food without the poison, she gets away fine-"

"Then Hiccup and Astrid eat, and they're gone!" Snotlout clapped his hands together. "That should do the trick. What do you say, pretty clever, huh? I came up with that myself."

"Ahem…" Fishlegs cleared his throat.

"Okay, you helped…but yeah, what do you say? You can do that, right Hans?"

He thought for a moment. "Not Astrid."

"Wait...what?"

"I will be happy to see Lord Hadd-" He caught himself and forced the name out. "Hiccup, to be dead. But Astrid has been kind to me, and…and I really think she's a victim as much as we are. I won't kill her."

Fishlegs tried to break in. "Hans, you swore an oath."

"To kill Lord Ha - Hiccup. But Astrid doesn't give off tyranny and terror. I won't kill her," he repeated.

Snotlout sighed and rested his head in his hands. After a while he looked up again.

"Fine. Our big priority right now is to stop Hiccup. We can figure out Astrid later on." There were no objections, so he continued. "Now, if something goes wrong, Hans and Gerda, our back-up plan is simple - three of us will be waiting outside with crossbows. Come and get us if the poison doesn't work, and we'll storm inside. Between us, at least one shot will hit Hiccup."

"Of course," Fishlegs pointed out, "when the dragons see this, they'll go mad at us for killing their alpha and...the isle's in for a really bad day. That's why this is our backup."

"But let's not use the backup." Hans nodded to everyone. "With the poison, the dragons won't attack."

"Hopefully not," Snotlout confirmed. "Now, we're going to be waiting-"

"Wait wait." Hans cut him off. "What do you mean 'hopefully not'?"

"I don't know if the dragons will make the connection between their alpha being poisoned and us standing nearby. If they do, they'll go berserk. Hopefully, they won't."

Hans could hardly believe his ears. "What are our chances, that we succeed?"

Snotlout sighed. "Hans, you promised your life to this."

"But I didn't realize you don't even have a plan to bring us out alive!" Hans looked at Fishlegs. "And you, you promised me that I would see Kranzgrad again. You said you had a plan to keep the empire from falling into chaos. Do you?!"

Snotlout also turned to face Fishlegs, who seemed very awkward on the spot. "I, uh...might have said some things, to get you here."

"You lied to me!" Hans stood up, and the others followed. "You lied just to get me to join?"

"I was desperate, okay!?" Fishlegs snapped back. "I did something I'm not proud of, and I normally wouldn't do that. But this is not a normal time we're living in. I needed to get you here, because we need to do this, and we need you to pull it off."

"Hans," Snotlout broke in. "Just remember what happens if you pull out now. Remember what Hiccup will do."

Hans froze and pictured it in his head. He truly had no choice. Groaning, he buried his face in his hands.

"We're in the same spot. If the dragons go berserk, we'll be dead too." Snotlout placed a hand on Hans' shoulder. "And I'm hoping it won't come to that. I hope that we can save both Berk and the world. But if we have to choose, we have to choose the world."

Hans didn't look up, but he nodded in understanding.

"If we are going to defend Berk...we might need to sacrifice Berk."


	26. Blood Red Roses

Astrid strode across the island, her arms clutching each other in front of her. She looked back, feeling eyes watching her from behind, but saw no one.

She walked with an increasing sense of urgency. She had to get out of there.

He had lied to her.

Letting out a noise that was some cross between a growl and a moan, she passed through the village with her head down. A squall of tension stormed inside of her as she followed the stone road a ways, before it veered off to the left. Astrid kept walking straight, though, her feet swishing against the grass.

Suddenly she stopped; her path led to the cliffs above the docks, and another step would send her plummeting into the ocean. For a moment she looked up, and stared beyond the docks, past the ships that floated in and out of the harbor, and to the horizon. The wind came running up the sheer rock, and Astrid could feel the gust brushing against her face as she looked to the union of sea and sky.

Astrid remembered this view from years ago, long before Hiccup left for and returned from the dragons' nest. The very scope of it left her with a strange sense of scale, and made her feel small. Now, seeing it again, she began to feel calm.

Five years later, this view had not changed in the slightest.

Astrid sat on the ground, crossing her legs. She leaned her elbow on one of her boots, resting her head in her hand. Her mind stopped spinning, and she took a slow, deep breath.

_Everything is going to be alright._

Now that she had restored some semblance of order in her mind, Astrid began going through her situation bit by bit.

First of all, Hiccup had kept a secret from her for over five years, and a very serious one at that. He hadn't trusted her to know about something so important, he hadn't trusted her to not mock him over it, and he was planning to marry her without telling her about it. She wondered to herself if he had ever even intended to tell her, or if he had simply decided to keep up the charade indefinitely.

Aside from the personal offense, however, Astrid also mulled over another question that troubled her: if he lied about his leg...what else had he lied about? This set her stomach to churning again. Hiccup had been declining for a long time, and from what she _did _see of him, she knew that he wasn't the same as he had been - his power had gone to his head. But now she wondered if there was even more to him, and if he had done anything behind her back. Anything worse.

Her imagination, ever active, presented a list of things Hiccup might have done, and she groaned.

"Oh, gods…"

The flood of imagery sickened her, and she turned towards the dragon stables. Even from this distance she could see the reptiles flying in and out.

She could do it.

She could stop him any time, Astrid realized that. All she had to do was rally the dragons, tell them to not follow Hiccup. He would surely try to fight back, with whatever dragons he could manage to keep under his control, but she was confident she could take him down.

Yet she didn't want to.

She crouched on her toes like she wanted to get up, but she only stayed crouching. Just as she resolved to push forward, she remembered Hiccup when he had been kind and gentle. Even a few months ago, he hadn't been a cruel leader - strict, yes, but reasonable.

Astrid wanted one of those Hiccup's back, and at this point she didn't care which. She could still save him. At least, she hoped she could.

She sat on the cliff's edge for a long time, her head in her hand, the sun warm in her hair. The breeze washed over her skin…

* * *

><p>"Astrid?"<p>

She jerked awake, her head jumping from her hand. Her wrist hurt terribly now, and she blinked herself back to consciousness. "Huh, yeah?"

"I've been looking for you." Hiccup came up from behind and sat on her right, but didn't look at her. Instead he stared across the sea, some troubled look in his eyes. "I was worried when you didn't come back."

Astrid turned away and hugged herself. A chill ran through her.

"Astrid…" He looked down and sighed. "I know you're upset. And you have every right to be upset with me." Now he watched her. "What I did was wrong, and I want to make up to you. I want to make things right." From the corner of her eye, Astrid saw him reaching his hand over to stroke her cheek. "How can I make things right?"

She felt his hand try to softly turn her head, and she relented. Now she stared into his eyes.

"What can I do to make things right?"

Her mouth hung open as she took a slow breath, trying to figure out what to say. "You've changed," she finally got out. "Hiccup, you've changed so much, and...I don't like it."

He nodded. "I'm sorry. Sometimes I think about it myself, and if I'm doing the right thing." His thumb rubbed circles on her cheek as he spoke softly. "But Astrid, I can't help it. I'm a leader now, I have to change how I act. I have to be stronger now."

She shook her head. "But not like this...gods, not like this Hiccup. You're not being strong, you're being cruel. You can't do all of this...I can't live like this...please…"

Hiccup looked down, and his thumb paused. Astrid held her breath until he raised his eyes again.

"I'm sorry, Astrid. I really, really am. If it means anything to you, I promise," his expression was sincere, "that I will do my best to change." He brushed some of her bangs out of the way. "Astrid, I love you. Please, let me know what I can do for you."

She said nothing for a while. _This could be it_, she thought to herself. _He might really mean it._ All at once, though, Astrid felt an enormous tiredness hit her - she hadn't slept the whole night before, and had only had a short nap before Hiccup had found her. She slipped her hand behind his neck.

"Do you promise to change?"

"I do. I really do."

Astrid brought him forward and slowly pressed her lips against his, and he returned the favor. She held him there for a long time, running her fingers through his hair, and a spark kindled inside of her. Finally they broke.

"What you can do for me," she whispered to him, "is be my pillow for a few hours."

She leaned her head against his chest, and she could hear his heartbeat. The warmth of the leather soothed her, as well as his hand running up and down her arm.

"Astrid," he said. "I was wondering...I found an old Germanic poem and translated it. I wanted to sing it to you for our wedding...but would you like to hear it now?"

"You know...I think I would."

Hiccup leaned close and softly sung the words, and she just caught the last of them before falling asleep:

_Sweet blood red roses, _

_their scent fills the air_

_Listen, they whisper, _

"_You're all I love, and all that I see"_

_So when the roses _

_caress you so softly_

_Think of who loves you; _

_my dear, remember me!_

* * *

><p>It was sunset when Astrid finally woke up. Yawning, she sat up, taking her head off of Hiccup, who was lying down.<p>

"Did you have a nice nap?" Hiccup grinned as he stood up.

"Mm-hmm," Astrid got up and stretched.

"Here, come on." He put his arm around Astrid, and they went together back towards home. "You know, when I came looking for you, I ran into Fishlegs and Hans. They had finished up, so I sent Hans back to the house. I think he should be making dinner soon."

"Yeah, yeah…" It took a moment for the realization to hit Astrid. "Wait, you called him by his actual name!"

"See, change!" He gave a warm smile, and Astrid began to feel her heart lifted. Maybe he really meant it…

They walked together all the way back, night falling before they got home, and when Hiccup opened the door Astrid smelled fish frying in the pan.

"My lord, my lady!" Hans gave a bow. "Dinner's almost ready, and Gerda's arrived." The quiet woman sat in one of the seats, still trembling as always. "Please, sit down at the table."

Astrid sat across from Hiccup, who every now and then cast a glance at the two preparing the food. The smell tempted her so…

"Oh, I just realized," she said to him, "I haven't eaten yet today! I'm starving..."

"That makes two of us." He cast another glance over. "Icelandic cod, that'll be nice."

Suddenly Astrid felt an absence. "Hold on a moment, where's Toothless?"

"Oh, I left him at the dragon stables. I think, after last night and this morning, we all need a break." Hiccup bit his lip. "I hope you're okay with that?"

"Gods, more than you know, I've needed a break."

He chuckled. "Well, there we go then."

"My lord, my lady!" Hans came over now with two plates, and set one in front of each of them. "I hope you enjoy your meal."

"Gerda, please?"

At Hiccup's gesture, Gerda took her fork. Astrid watched as she speared a small chunk of fish from her plate and swallowed it. Interesting, she realized, how the fish was cut tonight…

Now Gerda came over to Hiccup's plate, speared a chunk, and swallowed.

"Thank you," Astrid nodded and smiled to Gerda, who turned to go.

"Wait."

Gerda froze at Hiccup's command. Astrid looked around at him. "Hiccup, what are you doing?"

"I just want to make sure, can't be too careful. Gerda, give it another taste."

She paused for a moment, but nodded and bent to take another chunk.

"No no no…" He waved her off, and turned the plate around. "A taste from _this _side, with the strips."

Astrid didn't know why he was making a big deal out of this, but grew more worried when Gerda and Hans began making a big deal out of it. Gerda glanced from Hiccup to Hans to Astrid to the food.

"Take a taste," Hiccup repeated, "from right here." He pointed at the fish, and looked up with a vindictive glint in his eyes - and an expression that he knew something. "Now."

Gerda suddenly plunged her fork into the fish, and took a large bite. Then another. Then another. Then another. Astrid watched as Hans covered his mouth, like in shock. Hiccup suddenly leapt from his chair and seized Gerda by the collar of her tunic.

"Who told you to do this!?"

Astrid still had no idea what was going on. She got a major clue, though, when Gerda began moving like she would vomit. Her head bobbed madly, and she didn't look Hiccup in the eyes as froth began dripping from her mouth.

"Oh my gods!"

Now Astrid was on her feet, covering her mouth. Gerda began convulsing, still in Hiccup's grasp. She gave a sputtering, choking sound as the froth continued to pour out. Then she slowed, and stilled. Hiccup dropped her lifeless body to the floor.

"What…" Astrid couldn't take this anymore. "What just happened?!"

"Someone just tried to murder us," Hiccup growled.

He cast a glare at Hans, who stared back paralyzed.

"Astrid, hide upstairs!"

Hiccup seized a cup from the table and hurled it at the thrall, who ducked out of the way. The last Astrid saw of him, he was stumbling out the door, while she was climbing the chairs and Hiccup was grabbing a bucket of water to douse the fireplace.


	27. The Backup Plan and Its Successes

Hans threw his arms up to deflect the cup hurtling towards his face. It struck him at his elbow. He yelled in pain as he stumbled over, trying to get to the door. The legs nearly tripped him up, but he soon burst outside, his whole body trembling.

"Fishlegs!" He hollered; there was no need for subtlety now. "Snotlout, Fishlegs!"

The two of them appeared from behind a nearby hut: Fishlegs held a crossbow, and Snotlout held two.

"He knew," Hans gasped as they jogged towards each other. "I don't know how, but he knew."

"He couldn't have!" Fishlegs shook his head in disbelief. "We covered all our tracks, there's no way a spy could've gotten in!" He glanced around. "Where's Gerda?"

"Gerda, oh Christ, Gerda, she...she ate the poison on purpose, she realized that he knew, and she...oh God…"

"Later, we can talk about this later!" Snotlout thrust a crossbow at Hans. "Our third man didn't show up; we need you."

Hans didn't speak, didn't think. He took the weapon with unfeeling fingers.

"If you see Hiccup, shoot."

With that, Snotlout threw the door open, and all three stormed inside.

The house was dark now, and steam spewed from the fireplace. The last dying sputters of the drowned fire belched out smoke, throwing the room into haze.

The emperor was nowhere in sight.

Hans stepped forward, holding the crossbow level. His hands shook with anticipation or fear - he couldn't tell which. The aftermath of the chaos surrounded him - the chair still sat overturned, and the table had been shoved askew. Dishes and cups lay on the floor, as did Gerda's body. Her hands were clutched atop her chest, and her eyes stared up without blinking. Froth still dribbled from the corner of her mouth.

"Oh my gods," Fishlegs whispered as he saw Gerda.

Hans looked back, and found Snotlout's face blank - he only shook his head dumbly. "This is enough." Now his expression steeled. "Gerda will be the last person to die because of Hiccup! Hans, there's only one exit to this house, Hiccup has to be in here."

"He must be upstairs." Hans gestured towards the staircase. "His room is on the left."

"Come on then!"

Snotlout went up the stairs two at a time, with Hans and Fishlegs just behind. The thumping of their footsteps made the house shake, and soon they found themselves in front of Hiccup's door.

"Oh, this is it…" Snotlout put his hand on the door. "Guys, get ready. The second I throw the door open, shoot!"

Fishlegs raised his crossbow to aim down the sight. Hans did also, but became distracted by Astrid's door nearby. What was she feeling? How was she taking this? What would she think of him? Suddenly his heart leapt into his throat - was she even in her room? If she was in here…

"Darn it!" Hans snapped back to attention as he heard Snotlout trying to shove his body against the door. "He has it blocked. Hold on…"

Holding his crossbow, he drove the heel of his foot against the door, and Hans saw it crack open an inch.

Green gas started seeping out…

"Hoh…" the realization came suddenly over him. "Wait, wait!"

Snotlout gave it another kick.

The door finally opened into a swirling green cloud.

Snotlout wrinkled his nose. "What the…"

There was a _click._

The cloud flashed into fire.

Hans felt himself thrown against the wall by the blast, the crossbow flying from his hands. He spun on the impact and landed with his back on the ground. His head snapped back hard against the floor, and the blow brought an explosion of colors to his eyes. A high-pitched ringing filled his ears.

It took a second for his mind to fully process what had happened. He felt himself in a daze, and for some reason his body decided to simply do nothing. So much had just happened, he supposed, that his brain had decided to just pause to sort through it all.

He didn't move, not even turning his head, only lying there spread-eagled as he stared at the ceiling. Even after the ringing died away, he didn't hear Snotlout or Fishlegs.

He did hear slow footsteps.

With a monumental effort, he tilted his head ever so slightly to get a better view as Lord Haddock came up to him. He still held his sword in his hand, and his face showed nothing but the bitterest of contempt.

Hans felt a chill as Lord Haddock stopped and glared into his eyes. Neither spoke as he stood there, towering over Hans.

Then he lifted his foot and brought it down on Hans' face.

A crunch, and then nothing.

* * *

><p>"...him, do you recognize him?"<p>

"Yes, yes. He was part of the conspiracy."

Hans awoke in a cold place, and he lay on a wooden floor with his arms stretched above his head. The light was poor, flickering from some torch behind him, casting grid lines of shadow on the wall: he was in a prison.

Everything was sore, but his nose especially blazed with agony.

"Uuuuuunh…" As Hans sat up, he gingerly tried to rub his nose. He felt a crust under his fingers, and when he looked at his hand he saw flakes of dried blood.

A pair of silhouettes blocked the light from behind. "And him?" It was Lord Haddock, and Toothless beside him.

Now a third figure appeared. "Yes...yes, they specifically named Hans, he was part of it."

It was the voice that Fishlegs had been talking with in the Great Hall the day before. The one that sounded familiar...Hans twisted his head around, and although shadows obscured the speaker's face, Hans recognized him.

"Mach…"

Sure enough, it was his former co-conspirator, dressed in rags and shrouded in sadness. Mach clasped his hands in front of him, barely looking at Hans. He seemed that he was about to be sick.

"Good job, Mach," Lord Haddock clapped his hand on the man's shoulder, making him wince. "You've really shone through; I appreciate that."

Mach only bowed his head and turned away - he didn't seem to want the emperor's appreciation.

"I can't believe this!" Snotlout called from down the hallway. "That's why you didn't show up tonight?! You sold us out at the last minute?!"

Hans rushed to the bars of his cell, trying to glimpse down the way - Fishlegs was in the room to his right, and Snotlout beyond that.

"Oh, not at the last minute." Lord Haddock shook his head, his tone mocking. "In fact, Mach has been eyes and ears for me for quite a while now."

"But why…" Hans tried to catch Mach's eye. "Why would you do this? We worked together, and I trusted you. I confided in you…"

Before Mach could answer, Lord Haddock stepped in. "Really? You think he owes you for anything? Think about what you did for his people, and tell me you're surprised."

Hans couldn't answer that.

"I have to say, Mach and I got off on a shaky foot, but…" Lord Haddock shrugged, "...I felt bad for him. I mean, with all the stuff I did to Carlhorse, he was begging me for any exchange in return for mercy for his island. He said he would do anything, anything at all…"

He rested his hand on Mach's shoulder again, and again Mach visibly shivered.

"So I brought him over to Berk, assigned him to Fishlegs as an assistant, and told him to keep watch. And he did, and he had so much to tell me…"

Lord Haddock now stepped over and stood in front of Fishlegs and Snotlout, rubbing his hands together in a rather unsettling way. Toothless followed, keeping a wary eye on him.

"I have to say, Snotlout, I'm surprised I nearly forgot about you. But you know, the pressures of growing and running an empire." No response. "Mach told me about your mother…?"

Now Snotlout reacted. "Don't you dare talk about her!"

"Look, it's not my fault, I swear! The Whispering Deaths are harder to control, I can't help it if one of them-"

"Shut up!" Hans heard Snotlout's voice crack. "Just shut up, I know you had something to do with it!"

"No, I really almost forgot about you…" Lord Haddock put his hand on his chin, as if he were pondering something. "Don't know how I did. But you and I have a lot of catching up to do…" The look in his eyes sickened Hans. "Oh, fifteen years to pay back, Snotlout. All that name-calling and elbowing and shoving and jeering...it all adds up."

He paced from Snotlout to Fishlegs and back again, thinking. Toothless stayed out of his way, watching him go back and forth. Finally Lord Haddock stopped.

"How about tomorrow, we go to the old kill ring, and I put you two in there with a couple of Monstrous Nightmares? Big hungry ones, I think that'd be fun."

Hans could not see their reactions, but he felt terror cloud his own mind.

"You're…" Fishlegs stammered, "You've gone mad!"

"Or maybe a few Changewings?" Lord Haddock bobbed his head from side to side. "A Zippleback could also be interesting...ah, I can't decide right now. I'll just sleep it over, and I'll let you guys know in the morning. I want to make this a real crowd-pleaser." He gave them a malicious smile, walking past Mach, before stopping in front of Hans.

Hans backed away from the bars as Lord Haddock eclipsed the torchlight. He felt his breath come heavy.

"Hans Hermann…" Again, he was rubbing his hands together. "I thought I recognized you before. Your friend told me all about you, and how much you miss Kranzgrad. So you know what...I'm going to take you back home."

Hans looked into his face, shocked by these words.

"You heard me. I'll take you eastward to Kranzgrad." He nodded. "And then you can watch me burn down your city in front of your eyes."

Hans felt his knees wobble, and he shook his head. "No…"

"Every house torched, every tower toppled, every citizen torn to pieces." Every word brought renewed horror to Hans' heart, and he realized the emperor found this amusing. "Just imagine it - the fields, pooled with blood. The palace, the schools, the markets, reduced to ashes. I'll even have the roads torn out of the ground and the bricks scattered. All of your family, your friends, their children, reduced to meat. And...Arthenia, was it?"

"No…"

"I'll make sure I give her a personal touch. Toothless will help me, won't you?" The dragon merely flattened his ears, and gave soft whimper while looking away. The emperor didn't notice. "Or I might even keep her around, I'll need a new thrall to replace you."

"No, no I won't let you do it!" Hans ran up and grabbed the bars of his cell. "I won't let you do it!"

"Oh, right, because you've been so good at stopping me before." Lord Haddock crossed his arms. "You tried to kill Lady Hofferson - you tried to take away what was most important to me. I'm simply going to return the favor, and do a much better job at it."

With that, he turned and took the torch from its holder on the wall, and brought it over to a barrel of water nearby. Hans thought desperately for some way to get the final word.

"You can't last forever!" he yelled, "Sooner or later someone will succeed! Tyranny can't last! Democracy will win!" He gasped for breath. "Berk will have the rule of law!"

Lord Haddock turned, and only scoffed. "It already does. _I_ am the law."

He thrust the torch into the barrel. With a hiss, the jail was plunged into darkness, but the glint of the emperor's eyes flashed even in the moonlight.

"I will see you all at daybreak."


	28. The Choices of Women and Dragons

Astrid waited outside the jail, her back pressed against the wall. She could overhear every word that was being said. Hiccup was gloating over his captives, playing around with them, fantasizing about their deaths and the bloodbath he planned for Kranzgrad.

Astrid didn't know how much of it was only scare tactics - but she had no intention on betting any money on Hiccup's clemency. Squeezing her eyes shut, she took a deep breath and found herself shivering.

Now Hiccup came outside, with Mach and Toothless behind him.

"Come on Astrid," he said. "Let's get home, get some sleep."

He took her hand. She jerked it away.

"You promised…" she croaked.

"...what?"

"You promised you would change!" She stepped away from him. "And this isn't even the first time too, you've said before that you would stop being cruel! Well, what do you have to say about what you said in there?!"

Astrid was buzzing with rage, and everything felt unreal to her. She watched as Hiccup narrowed his eyes.

"They just tried to _kill us_, Astrid. Why are you defending them?"

"Didn't you hear what you were just saying?! It's not just them, you said you were going to burn down a whole city because of what one guy did to you!"

She hoped that he would shake his head, lead her away from the jail a bit and explain that it was just something he said, that he had no intention of actually carrying it out. Instead Hiccup stayed still, Mach and Toothless watching as his dark expression festered. "I am _done _with people trying to push me around. I am _done _with people not giving me the respect I deserve. I am _not _going to let anyone walk all over me anymore, like they used to!" He closed his eyes, took a deep breath to calm down. "If that means I have to make examples out of people, I will."

"So you'll destroy a whole city, just to spite one person? No matter what Hans did, that doesn't give you right to punish people who had absolutely nothing to do with him!"

"Look, why do you even care anyways?" Astrid hated when Hiccup tried to switch into this nonchalant character, like his actions had no impact. "I'm just going to take care of them all in the morning, and I'll probably be back by sunset. You don't have to see it, it'll all be okay."

"I don't have to _see it?_" She couldn't believe her ears. "Is that what you think, then? As long I don't see what you do, I won't know about it, I won't care about it?" She started advancing on him. "I'll tell you why I care: it's wrong. Throwing people in with dragons to be eaten alive is wrong. Massacring thousands for revenge is wrong. Trying to scare people into doing whatever you say is wrong. It's all wrong…" she shook her head in disgust. "And you're wrong."

The world seemed to have faded around them as Astrid's mind clouded with emotion. She couldn't believe she was finally going toe-to-toe against him, but at the same time she didn't want to stop. She couldn't.

Out of the corner of her eye, Astrid could see that Mach was trying to remove himself from the conversation, but he didn't seem to want to actually walk away. Toothless sat beside him, his eyes flitting from speaker to speaker.

Now Hiccup answered her, his voice not angry, but grim. "You think I'm wrong? Look at what I've done for Berk." He thrust out his hand to gesture around him. "Six years ago, we wouldn't have dreamed that we would get as rich as we are today. The dragons are our allies, our enemies are defeated. Berk is a safer place, and a more prosperous place, thanks to me."

"No, the dragons are _your _allies. _Your _enemies are defeated. You've only made things better for yourself, can't you see that?" Astrid growled in frustration. "Do you think your dad would have wanted-"

"Don't talk about my dad!" Hiccup suddenly took a step towards Astrid, and for the first time in her life she saw anger flash in his eyes towards her. "I don't care what he would have wanted. All I know is what he didn't want: me. His last words before he left the island were 'I'm so ashamed.' That was the legacy he left for me, the knowledge that he only considered me a failure."

Astrid was startled by his outburst, and she shook her head. "No...no, that's not the last word he left on the matter. The letter, Hiccup. Did you ever even read it?"

"Why should I? All it'll say is more of the same thing:" He lowered his voice in a mock impersonation, "'Hiccup, I just wanted to let you know again how you were the worst Viking Berk has ever seen.' If I had my way, I would throw it in the fire and be done with it!"

"Then why don't you?"

He didn't answer.

"Why don't you?"

Hiccup still refused to respond, so Astrid tried another direction.

"Don't you think you owe it to him to read what he had to say?"

"I don't owe my dad anything! Just like I don't owe this island, or these people, anything. They made their choices a long time ago, and now they're reaping what they sowed. If they're not happy with what they got, they'll find no sympathy from me."

Astrid grew exasperated. "If you don't care about men, then what about dragons? You keep pushing them and pushing them, don't you think you're wearing them down?"

Hiccup raised his finger, as if to make a point. "The dragons love me. The dragons are true to me, and they always have been. They were there for me-"

"Then be there for them!" Astrid yelled. "Are you just blind, can't you see that they're unhappy? They're tired, and you just demand more from them all the time."

"What do you know about dragons?!" Hiccup advanced again. "_I_ am the Dragon Overlord! _I _trained the dragons! I don't need you to tell me about them. They are loyal to no end, and they'll always do what I ask them to do." He suddenly glanced at Toothless. "I'll show you. Toothless!" The Night Fury perked up, and Hiccup pointed at Mach. "Kill him."

Mach and Toothless glanced at each other, the former with horror, the latter with confusion.

"No, don't!"

Astrid yelled to the dragon, and put out her hand.

She saw Hiccup staring at her with surprise, then he turned and repeated, "Toothless, kill him!"

"No, no don't do it." Astrid tried to get the dragon to keep making eye contact with her. "Toothless, do NOT kill Mach."

"I said, do it! Now!" The Night Fury winced at Hiccup's shout, and began turning to Mach-

"No!" Astrid followed his line of sight. "Toothless, you don't have to do this."

"He does too!" Hiccup was enraged now. "This is an order! Kill him, now!"

"No, no, leave him alone!"

"KILL! NOW!"

"Don't!"

Toothless looked back and forth, from Hiccup to Astrid, from order to order. His ears pressed flat against his head, and if dragons cried it seemed he was about to burst into tears, torn between the two people before him.

He began backing away from Hiccup.

"Toothless! What are you…" Hiccup trailed off, and his anger dissolved into shock as the dragon stepped behind Astrid, shielding himself with his wings.

Astrid also felt shocked, and her breath stole away as Toothless retreated to her. He looked at her with big eyes, and softly warbled. "It's okay…" she whispered.

Before looking back up at Hiccup, she made sure to steel her face. He still stood there, utterly baffled. Mach nearby looked equally surprised to find himself still alive.

"Now do you get it?" Her voice choked. "You've changed. You're not the Hiccup I fell in love with; the Hiccup I knew would have always been fair and kind. The Hiccup I know wouldn't have treated his best friend like a weapon. The Hiccup I know would have cared very much about his village. I don't know who you are," she shook her head, "but you're not Hiccup."

He said nothing for the longest while, until Astrid felt the silence would suck her breath away. He slowly turned around, obscuring his face, but otherwise no one dared to move.

"Go."

His voice burned with anger, disappointment...and a slight trace of pain.

Astrid didn't know what to do - say something? Give him a touch? She didn't want to do any of these...

"Just go. All of you."

He stayed turned around, so that she couldn't see his face. Finally she gave a nod to Mach, and guided Toothless away, leaving Hiccup behind. Mach scampered away elsewhere

Meanwhile, Astrid headed for the dragon stables. This was it, there was no going back for her now.

It was time.


	29. The Letter

"Go."

Hiccup took a deep breath, squeezing his eyes shut. He could feel his entire body trembling, right down to his core, and it took every ounce of his will to not start screaming. There were no footsteps - Astrid and Toothless were still there. He took another deep breath, and felt his face scrunching up in rage; he didn't want to see them right now.

"Just go," he repeated. "All of you."

This time, he heard Toothless's heavy footfalls, coupled with the lighter steps of humans. When they faded away, Hiccup finally turned around again. All three of them were gone, just as he asked for.

He looked back at the jail again, and with his heart still smoldering he set off for home.

"Astrid…" he choked out to himself. "Out of all people…what did I do wrong?" He stared at his hands. "I'm not doing anything wrong, I'm not…" He tucked his hands under his arms. "Them, they're just...they don't understand. She doesn't understand. Toothless is just confused, he's just…" Hiccup felt his eyes moisten, and he hurriedly wiped them dry. The last thing he needed was to be seen like this, so he quickened his pace, keeping his head down.

As he walked up to his house, he came across a Stormcutter, which was wandering around just outside. It peered at him with large round eyes, curious at seeing Hiccup up so late.

"Hey," Hiccup reached out his hand, resting it against the dragon's snout. "Listen, when you get back, tell the others we're flying out tomorrow. We have more bad people to stop."

He signed as he spoke, and the Stormcutter seemed to suddenly fatigue merely at hearing the news.

"It's alright, in the end it will all be worth it." Hiccup nodded, and shooed the dragon away. "It'll be worth it…" he repeated to himself as he went inside. A few minutes later, he clambered into bed. He rested his head against the pillow, but Toothless' absence made the room seem unbearable. After a long period of tossing and turning, Hiccup finally managed to still himself long enough to slip into sleep, and his mind began to conjure dreams:

* * *

><p>Stoick was there.<p>

"Dad?!" Hiccup ran to him; he was walking away, and didn't turn at Hiccup's voice. "Dad, Dad!"

But Stoick didn't hear him, or ignored him. Hiccup ran and tried to stand in front of him, but the second he turned around, his father had vanished.

"Dad!"

"Hiccup!" He turned around, and saw Astrid - fifteen-year-old Astrid. She jerked her head towards the village, which had suddenly appeared. "C'mon, the feast is starting. Your dad's waiting for you."

Hiccup looked down at himself, and realized he had also been returned to his fifteen-year-old self. Returning his gaze up, Astrid was just disappearing behind one of the huts.

_Wait!_ Hiccup tried to call out, but no voice came from his throat. He stepped forward, and promptly fell on the ground. His legs refused to function properly, and when he tried to get back up his feet merely betrayed him again and again. _Astrid, hold on! _he mouthed soundlessly, as he made slow progress across the grass.

Suddenly a loud roar sounded from the village, and a chorus of yells erupted. People began fleeing, and Hiccup frantically tried to turn and crawl away. He feared he would be trampled as they jumped over and dodged around him. Astrid was the only one that stopped for him.

"Hiccup, Hiccup c'mon!" Her face glanced up and behind him in alarm. "Come on, we don't have time for this! We need to go!" She kept glancing up, and Hiccup heard a scream of flames as something exploded him. Her fear finally seemed to win over when she backed away and also fled, leaving him behind.

With a great effort, Hiccup turned himself around, and saw Berk on fire, the red and orange inferno dancing. The cloudy sky above distorted and rippled from the heat, and smoke choked out the sunlight.

Then, on the house closest to him, a black dragon leapt up from behind, hissing in malice.

A rider sat on the dragons' back.

And Hiccup recognized his face.

No words entered his mind. He only tried to push himself across the ground with his hands, trying to escape despite knowing he couldn't.

The dragon and rider pounced down from the rooftop, and stalked towards him. Hiccup shook his head.

_No...no...no…_

The rider pointed, and when he spoke some echoing, inhuman screech came out instead.

Hiccup watched with wide eyes as he condemned himself to death, and was promptly consumed with the dragon's plasma.

* * *

><p>Hiccup bolted upright, gasping for breath.<p>

His chest felt like it had been clenching, and the room spun as he tried to re-enter reality. He pulled his knees in, and with a heavy sigh he sank his forehead into his hands.

"Oh gods…"

He shivered at the memory of his dream, and began to feel sick. He shook his head furiously.

"No, no I'm not...I'm not that. I'm not."

He swung his legs over the side of his bed, reattached his prosthetic, and began to light his forge for a fire, determined to snap himself from this mindset.

"I don't owe them anything," he reminded himself. "And even then, look at what I've done for them. They should be thanking me with every breath! The village on Haddock Island, they know how to show respect, more people should be like them…"

But that image still burned in his eyes, him and Toothless standing before a burning Berk, and his words began to feel empty.

"I'm not…" He sniffed in determination. "I'm not…"

What wasn't he? He couldn't even finish his own sentence.

The forge was finally glowing with heat, and Hiccup left it. Coming over to his desk, he saw maps with arrows and notes, lists of names that he bore a grudge against, plans for terrifying new weapons he had dreamed up. Shifting them around, though, one picture stood out in particular: his hands pulled out a drawing of Astrid; her blond braid and smiling blue eyes looked up from the paper. Above her right ear he had penciled a little heart.

His hands began to shake, and he crumpled the paper into a ball. With a sudden burst of rage, Hiccup hurled it away. He yelled and scattered papers over the floor, kicking them as they fell. He grabbed a pencil from the desk and threw it across the room, and then another - but his anger wanted something more substantial to express itself with. With another scream, he took the chair and tried to heave it against the far wall. It only went a couple of feet before it dropped back to the floor, overturned.

Finally Hiccup gripped the edge of his desk, gasping as his fury finally cooled. No, no, he wanted it to burn more. Without his anger, there would only be mourning and solitude. The rage helped thaw the deathly chill of melancholy. Try as he might, the grief began to flood over him, and his temper was drowned. No, he wanted the pain to go away, and only violent passion could do that for him.

That's when he spotted the letter.

He had swatted away the papers that had lain on top, and now his father's unopened message sat half-uncovered. With deft fingers he took it up, and turned it to see his name printed on its side.

On the one hand, he knew exactly what it would say.

On the other, uncertainty still raised its voice.

He didn't want to read it, he didn't want to give his father that satisfaction of having his last words known. He pinched his fingers at the top to tear it in two.

He paused.

* * *

><p>Gobber knocked on the chief's door. "Stoick?" He called. "Stoick, please open the door."<p>

Silence.

"I know yer in there. No one's seen you come out for days."

Now he heard movement inside, and the door opened. Stoick certainly seemed like he hadn't seen sunlight for days, and his face looked terrible.

"By Odin…" Gobber shook his head.

"Hello." Stoick greeted his friend, but his eyes clearly showed his mind was elsewhere. He turned around and went back inside, leaving the door open. Gobber followed, noticing the general disorder of the place.

"Stoick, we're worried about you. I mean, I know you miss Hiccup, but-"

Stoick lifted his axe from his belt and buried its head into the table.

"Ah." Gobber stepped back a bit. "Touchy subject, I see."

"I'm sorry Gobber…" Stoick sighed. "So much has happened in such a short time."

"We're just worried about you, and-" Gobber paused again as he spotted a large number of baskets and packs lined up. "Are you plannin' on goin' somewhere?"

"I'm leaving." Stoick began to pick up his gear.

"Leavin'...?" Gobber asked for more clarification. None came. "To where?" Still nothing. "When are you goin' to be back?"

Stoick picked up a paper from the table, which had been folded and sealed with wax on its back. "Gobber, take this to Spitelout. It's for Hiccup, _if _he comes back. Also tell Spitelout he's in charge until further notice."

Stoick had never been one to use many words, but he was especially curt now. Gobber took the letter, but kept pressing. "Is this about Hiccup?" Now the chief froze. "Is that why yer leavin'?"

He turned to Gobber, his face nearly unreadable. "I'm just...I'm so ashamed…" Those were the last words he would ever speak to anyone on Berk.

As he went out the door, Gobber looked down at the letter in his hand. Later that day he would pass it to Spitelout, who less than two weeks later would finally hand it off to Hiccup. From there the letter would sit in his pocket for days, then laid on a desk and forgotten. Five years later Astrid would find it, but it would not be opened until three months afterward when, on the verge of tearing it to pieces, Hiccup opted instead to finally break the wax seal, revealing several folded papers inside. And this is what they said:

* * *

><p>Hiccup-<p>

I don't really know what to say here - what should I write in a letter that might never be read? How do I speak to somebody who probably won't come back? I guess I will just write, and hope one day this will find you.

It's been four days since you've left, and I've had the most burning shame in my mind every time I think of you. I realize you may not understand why, and in a sense I hardly understand it myself, but I'll try to explain.

All your life, you've been very different from the other kids - you were never as strong or as fast, and that worried me. I was afraid that when you got older, they would ridicule you, and that fear came true. That's why I always tried to toughen you up, and push you more than the others. And when I got back from my expedition, and learned you had placed first in dragon training, could you imagine my joy? I was relieved for you - now no one would torment you anymore!

But then something happened in the arena, and in that moment I didn't recognize you. Instead I saw two people: the first appeared when you dropped your knife and shield, and cast your helmet away. In that moment, I saw your mother. I never really told you how she died, but I will only say now that she was killed trying to make peace with the dragons, like you were trying to. My heart stopped, when I realized I might have been about to watch you die too. That's why I stopped the fight, to save you from your mother's fate.

Then the Night Fury showed up, and when it tackled me I thought for sure I was about to perish. But it stopped and spared me - at your command. When I heard you yelling to it, and saw it listening to you, I recognized someone else: a dark man I once knew, a man who murdered an entire council of chieftains, a man who tried to use dragons to wreak terror on others and take power for himself. The last thing I wanted to imagine was that you could follow his path, and yet I could not deny what I had seen you do.

Looking back, I know now that I reacted poorly, but I hope you can understand what I felt that day, and why it seemed I reacted in anger. It was not anger that drove me, though - it was fear. In such a short time, I became afraid of you, and what you had the potential to become. Yet I remained even more afraid for you, and what would happen to you if I couldn't help. I see now, though, that after fifteen years of what I've put you through, I've failed to help you, and I've only succeeded in driving you away. The foolish words I spoke four days ago, words that I wish now I could take back, have not only cost me the last reminder I have of your mother - they have cost me my only son. And for that I am ashamed - ashamed of myself, for not appreciating you for who you are, and for making you feel that leaving Berk was your only option.

You have a rare gift among Vikings: a sharp mind, and a strong sense of empathy. I am sorry that so many - including myself - have tried to squash these out of you. You should have never been humiliated for who you are, because while these traits will not make you a dragon killer, they will make you into a leader. And I am sure that when you grow up, you will be a good, strong, and fair leader for Berk, a man that everyone will look up to and love. You will be a role model for generations to come. That's why I'm leaving today to search for you, and Thor willing I will find you and return home with you by my side, and bring Berk the bright future it deserves.

I hope that you will never forget who you are, nor forget the soft-heartedness that makes you one of the strongest people on the island. I hope that I will get to see you just one more time, so that I can tell you in person how sorry I am for everything I've done. I hope we can finally sit down with each other, and talk openly with no secrets or misunderstandings between us. I hope that you will no longer be angry with me, and that you will embrace me again. I hope you will come home and give your people another chance. And I hope, if you do return on your own and find this, that you can find it in your heart to forgive me. Because my one hope, above all other hopes, is to have my son back.

-Stoick

* * *

><p>Hiccup felt his hands trembling as he moved to the last paper. And there was a drawing he had done years before, of him holding his father's hand, standing in the sun and smiling together. "ME AND DAD" it was labeled.<p>

After all these years, Stoick had been the only one who had kept Hiccup's drawing.

Hiccup felt like his dream had clambered into reality - no voice could come from his throat. His breath came trembling as he went towards his desk.

All of his notes on metallurgy and transmutation he tossed into the forge, leaving them to be consumed by the burning coals. The different ingredients he took downstairs and tossed out the door.

The only thing he spared was the book, which he determined to return to Hans.

Now he climbed back into bed, staring up at the ceiling. Tears streamed from his eyes as he remembered everything he had done, all the people who had looked up to him.

"Gods, oh gods…"

He did not sleep the rest of that wakeful night.


	30. Downfall

**AN IMPERIAL PROCLAMATION FROM BERK**

This shall be the last document that you all shall receive from me. I have paused to reflect over my actions of the past five years, and now I've come to realize that I have committed several faults, chief among them being the abuse of the power which I took for myself. I only created the Empire of Greater Berk to improve my own image, and in doing so I exploited thousands of people and injured thousands more. I let my own insecurities fuel a lust for power, and everyone in Greater Berk has paid the price.

I wish to formally apologize for my horrific actions, and I'm hoping to undo some of the effects they have had.

I hereby order:

-the immediate liberation of all thralls from their servitude, and for them to be returned to their homelands;

-the immediate release of all occupied provinces, and the restoration of their sovereignty;

-the cessation of levies laid upon the different regions of Greater Berk, and the cancellation of all debts resulting from unpaid levies;

-the devolution of power from the emperor to the individual governors, and the return of their islands' autonomy, including the right of villagers to determine their own affairs; and

-the appropriate return of gold and other valuables taken from these islands.

Upon the execution of these commands, I will step down as emperor, and leave the archipelago with the dragons. At that time I declare the Empire of Greater Berk shall be dissolved, and I will leave you all in peace.

-Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III

* * *

><p>Hiccup wrote out several copies of his proclamation, quiet and sincere the whole time. When he finished enough to deliver one to each island, he sat back in his seat and sighed.<p>

He also wrung out his hand, which had cramped up from all his writing.

By now it was morning, and the sun peeped in through the downstairs windows. Hiccup looked at the light, almost entranced by it, then slowly stood and stepped outside.

The warmth pierced his skin, and the day made his heart light. The world seemed to be awaking anew. For the first time in a long while, he sniffed the ocean breeze as it blew by, remembering its refreshing delight. The quiet peace matched his heart now, and he smiled, even as he blinked a tear from his eye.

He knew he had to leave this place. After all he had done, there was no way he could call Berk his home anymore.

As Hiccup went inside and prepared to leave, though, he somehow knew it would be okay. He would lead the dragons far from humanity, and together they would settle and find some new existence together.

All that left was Astrid.

He didn't know what he would even say to her, especially after last night. How could he convince her that this time, he had finally accomplished what she wanted? And would she want to follow him into the wilderness? What would she say?

Maybe I'll just let her talk first, he decided, and go from there.

He slipped on his leather flight suit, his fur cloak, and his boots.

That is, one of his boots.

Hiccup looked down at his prosthetic, with its matching shoe in his hand. After some thought, he abruptly cast the boot aside. They deserved to know the truth, and he didn't feel like hiding it anymore.

Now with his outfit complete, he rolled up the papers and stored them away in his cloak's inner pocket, then paused in front of the mirror. His reflection stared back. Hiccup pulled out his sword, extended it, and drove its flaming point into the floor, resting his hands on its hilt.

He presented a powerful image, but at the same time he appeared calm, more understanding than he had before. Hiccup looked into his own eyes, quiet and strong underneath the edge of his cloak's hood, and let them gravitate to his prosthetic, and he gazed at it for a while.

He felt stronger than he ever had before.

Taking a deep breath, he stowed his sword away, put on his mask, and finally left the hut, determined to find Astrid and Toothless and start setting things straight. Walking through the village, he found himself surprised at its emptiness: even though it had been daytime for a long while, no one seemed to be around, human or dragon.

"Hello?" Hiccup called out.

No answer came. As he decided to steer his path towards the dragon stables, he finally found a lone Deadly Nadder, purple with yellow splotches. It spotted him, squawking in surprise and shrinking back.

"No no, it's okay." He spoke as he stretched out his hand. "It's okay, I'm here." He kept his tone soft, trying to comfort the dragon. "Don't worry, no more fighting, I promise."

The Nadder came up to him - more cautiously, Hiccup thought, than usual - before it finally pressed its snout against his hand.

"The days of the Dragon Overlord are over," Hiccup rubbed his hand over the dragon's head. "C'mon, let's find Toothless and Astrid."

Now with the Nadder following him from behind, Hiccup navigated through the streets towards the stables, and finally turned the corner.

He froze, and stepped back in fear.

* * *

><p>Astrid had just left Hiccup behind, with Toothless following her to the stables. The other dragons greeted her, and quickly noticed the alarm on her face.<p>

"Stormfly! Stormfly, where are-" she spotted the Nadder at the other end of the structure. "Stormfly, come! And…" she glanced around. "You, you, and you." She indicated a Monstrous Nightmare, a Gronckle, and a Hobblegrunt.

Toothless continued to tag along behind her, and so Astrid led five dragons back towards the jail. All the while her mind filled with terrifying images. Hiccup had never really gotten mad at her before tonight, and the idea that his infatuation for her might get blotted out by his anger suddenly seemed real. She was no longer safe; if he discovered her plot, she might very well end up in the arena with Fishlegs and Snotlout! Fear clutched her chest, but instead of inhibiting her, it drove her faster.

After peering around the corner to make sure Hiccup had left, Astrid dashed into the jail.

"Guys, guys wake up!" She hissed as she ran for the keys. The three men groaned awake as she opened Fishleg's cell. "Come on!"

"What?" Snotlout spat bitterly. "Is Hiccup too important to get us himself? Is he getting a nice comfy seat for the games?"

Astrid ignored him, only unlocking his cell and moving on to Hans. "We have to hurry!"

After opening his door, she immediately proceeded outside, leaving the other three standing dumbly in their cells. After a few seconds she reappeared.

"Come on, what are you waiting for?!"

This jolted them into movement, and they all came outside.

"Okay, guys." Astrid turned around and faced the men, and could see them eyeing the dragons behind her. "Hey!" She snapped her fingers. "My eyes are here, thank you. Now this is important-"

"Let me guess:" Snotlout mocked her voice, "'You guys did a bad, bad thing, and now you're getting what you deserve.'"

"No, actually." Astrid gave Snotlout a pointed glance before continuing. " I was trying to tell you that tonight, we are going to stop Hiccup. And I'm going to help you."

"Yeah, right!" This time Fishlegs spoke, and sounded bitter. "Like you'd want to give up being empress; must be a horrible life, right?"

"It is a funny change of heart," Snotlout added. "Tell me, Astrid, why should we trust you?"

"Because I do."

Hans suddenly broke his silence, and stepped forward to stand behind her. Both Snotlout and Fishlegs appeared flummoxed, and Astrid herself felt a bit shocked.

"You two don't know the whole story," he spoke with deep candor. "And I believe that if she says she wants to help, she means it." A stunned silence followed, and he turned to her. "My Lady-"

"Hans, please…" She shook her head. "I told you not to call me that. Especially now, it doesn't help."

"No, I want to. I called Hiccup 'Lord' because he struck fear into me." A small, tight smile appeared on his lips. "But I will call you 'Lady', because you inspire honor and courage in me." He gave a small, respectful bow. "What do you want me to do?"

Astrid had to take a moment to collect herself, as a mix of surprise, relief, and delight rose inside her. "Hans, thank you," she whispered. She took a deep breath, and then spoke more boldly. "We're going to hit Hiccup where it hurts. What does he use to keep his power?" The answer was understood without a word. "We're gonna take it from him. Fishlegs, Snotlout!" She pointed down the village. "Go and wake everyone up, without getting Hiccup's attention, and tell them to meet at the dragon stables! Go!" The two jogged off, and Astrid took Hans by the shoulder. "Now, you come here, and...you."

She gestured for a Hobblegrunt to come closer, and the dragon obliged.

"You mean…?" Hans shook his head in disbelief as she took his arm.

"Just relax." She had him stretch out his hand as the Hobblegrunt came closer. She watched his eyes grow wide as they locked on the dragon's, before it finally rested its head against his hand.

"Wow…"

"That's all it takes, really." Astrid grinned as Hans began to stroke his dragon's head, and then its neck. "And now you're ready."

He looked up. "For what?"

"Things are going to get messy soon…"

As the night progressed, and the island woke, more and more villagers came streaming to the stables, increasingly surprised by the sight of laypeople coddling or even riding dragons. These creatures of nightmares had become pleasant companions. In the end, Fishlegs and even Snotlout warmed up to the idea, and a short while after the morning dawned, Astrid had the entire village on dragonback, with herself riding on Stormfly. Only a few dragons didn't have riders, including Toothless, and these Astrid still kept close.

"Alright, everyone! Everyone!" She shouted to be heard over the crowd, confident now that her designs had finally come to fruition. "We need to start spreading the word to the other islands, get them to also train their own dragons! Hans, you have the maps, you know the way around the archipelago probably better than anyone." He nodded. "Take a small group with you, and go to each island, you got that?"

He nodded. "Come on, Violet!" He had named his dragon after her base color - or at least what he presumed it to be, it kept changing. Regardless, he gripped the dragon's neck as it rose into the air.

"Now…" Astrid took a deep breath. "We need to figure out what to do with-"

"Hiccup!" Someone screamed, and everyone turned around. Sure enough, Astrid spotted him just turning the corner, a Deadly Nadder right behind him. He paused; his mask rendered his expression unreadable, but he stepped back in what seemed like surprise. Everyone else had a surprise too, as they spotted his left foot, and intense murmuring rippled through the crowd at the revelation.

He still has a dragon! Astrid screamed in her head. All he had to do was get off the island, gather together a few nests, and he'd be able to crush them! Her heart leapt in fear, and in pain, as she realized what she had to do.

"Hiccup!" She yelled, her breath coming heavy. "I'm not going to let you destroy Kranzgrad! And I'm not going to let you kill any more people. We," she gestured around her, "are not going to let you kill any more people! It's over!"

He looked around at everyone gathered, and tried to put his palms out for calm. "Please, I'm not looking for trouble-"

Snotlout blurted out, "You should have thought of that five years ago!" A chorus of angered agreement answered him.

"Look, I-I know I've done some things, and…" He looked around desperately, and now his gaze rested. "Toothless...Toothless, c'mere bud. It's okay, it's okay…"

The Night Fury looked to Astrid with pleading eyes, but she shook her head. As much as it broke her heart, she knew what Hiccup would have him do.

"Toothless?" He choked as his dragon refused to return to him, and he glanced around again. "Look, I promise, I'm not trying to do anything. Just, please…" He began reaching into his cloak-

"No!" Astrid's sharp voice jolted him - she knew he probably had something, maybe dragon nip that would instantly win over their dragons back to his side. "Hiccup, you've had your chance, and look what you've done! No one is going to listen to you anymore."

He looked right at her. "No, no I've changed! This time I really I have, I swear! Just, read-"

Now it was her turn for her voice to choke as she screamed again, "No! You're nothing but a monster, and you're never going to change. You're too dangerous, and I…" she took a deep breath, "I don't have a choice."

She struggled to say it, the words not wanting leave her chest. She couldn't even look at him as she said it, but eventually Astrid found the strength to say what she felt was necessary. It was so quiet, the others just barely heard her:

"Get him."

"No, no no!" Even without looking, Astrid could practically hear everyone turning to glare at him. "Toothless, Toothless come on, bud! Astrid, please! Toothless!"

There was a collective snarl as the dragons pressed forward, and Astrid cringed at what she was about to hear.

She didn't expect to hear the sound of Hiccup's sword.

Looking up, she saw that he extended the blade, and slowly circled it around. The dragons watched in a stupor, awed by it.

"Just let me leave…" he called out. "And read this." He pulled a roll of paper from his cloak, and threw it on the ground. "Just let me leave the island-"

"So you can bring back more dragons to face us?!" Astrid leaned forward and waved her hand in front of Stormfly's eyes. "Come on, snap out of it!" The Nadder startled back, broken from the trance. "Get him! Go!"

The dragon sprinted forward, and Hiccup stumbled back. His own Nadder screeched a warning, causing Stormfly to stop short.

"Astrid, just read it!" He pointed to the paper on the ground again as he clambered onto the dragon.

"And let you escape!?"

"I'm sorry, Astrid…" Then he took off into the air.

"Oh no you don't!" She yelled. "Let's go!" She pointed after him, and Stormfly beat her wings, propelling them both into the sky.

Hiccup was climbing straight up, and Astrid followed, the wind forcing her to squint her eyes. Suddenly he slowed, and she had to swerve to avoid hitting him - his Nadder had paused in the air, where it now twisted and dove away below her. With a growl, she kept up her pursuit, now realizing that even though they both rode Nadders, Hiccup had more experience with flying, and he could probably outmaneuver her.

He can't get away, though!

Now he was swerving between the houses, and she tried to follow him. The constant jolts and shifts in direction nearly disoriented her, but Stormfly apparently made sense of it all.

"C'mon girl!" Suddenly she gasped. "Look out!"

The Nadder very nearly collided with one of Hiccup's statues, gripping it in its talons and using it to slingshot around. The effigy slowly tipped over and shattered on the ground as the chase continued. Hiccup was climbing into the sky again.

"Get alongside him!" Astrid tried to point. "I've got an idea!"

Stormfly pushed harder, soon overtaking Hiccup. Astrid readied herself, saw him look over at her.

She leapt.

With a yell she grabbed at him and tore him from the back of his dragon, now leaving them both in freefall.

Hiccup screamed in panic as Astrid grabbed desperately at his arms, forcing his wrists into the loops on his pant legs, activating his flight suit.

"Hold still!" she screamed, trying to keep his arms outstretched so the wings could buffet their fall, even as they tumbled out of the sky. Astrid tried to shift her weight to stop their spinning, and succeed in pinning Hiccup underneath of her. They were still falling fast, but the flight suit seemed to be slowing them.

He kept trying to grab her shoulders, and she ended up seizing his hands, forcing him to keep the wings open.

"Astrid, no!"

She could feel his legs kicking the air, and the wind whipping her hair in a frenzy. The ground came rising up to meet them, and she squeezed her eyes shut.

They hit the ground.

Astrid tumbled forward, somersaulting several times and ending up on her stomach. The blow, while softened by the wings, still managed to daze her. Not waiting for her head to clear, she wobbled onto her hands and knees, and saw Hiccup lying nearby on his back, groaning from the pain. She rose to her feet and ran to him, straddling him across the waist while pulling out her knife.

She tried to take his mask off, but his fingers deflected hers. With a snarl she used her knife hand as well, even as he tried to push her arms away.

"Stop, get-AH!" She slapped both of his hands aside, and finally threw his mask off and away. Astrid twirled the knife in her fingers, and was about to plunge it into his chest when she stopped.

He was back.

Astrid had expected his face to be curled into rage, fury. But in the moment she looked into his eyes, she saw the darkness gone. In fact, tears now ran from them, and they were pleading and hurt.

"Astrid, please..." He raised his hands in a pathetic attempt to defend himself.

She saw the spark that had been extinguished so long ago, rekindled in his green irises. The Hiccup she loved...he had come back.

Or had he?

Astrid gripped her blade with other hand, holding it just inches above his chest.

"Astrid, don't!" He sobbed as he shook his head. "Please, no…"

"Do it!"

Looking over, she saw the villagers had sprinted over to see where they had fallen. Snotlout was the one yelling.

"Think about what he's done, Astrid! This is the only way you can stop him!"

"No!" Hiccup tried to grab her arm, and she shoved his hand away. "Please, just listen to what I have to say."

"He's just going to smooth-talk us! Kill him!"

"Astrid, please!"

Astrid cried out in agony as she was torn between two imperatives.

The blade hovered above Hiccup's chest.

She made her choice.

Raising it one last time, Astrid yelled as she brought her knife down.

Hiccup flinched.

The blade dug into the soil.

Astrid bent sobbing over him, hands still on the knife's handle, as Hiccup slowly opened his eyes.

"I can't….I can't do it…" She wept as she fell back. "Oh gods, I can't do it…"

"Are you kidding me?!" Snotlout hollered. "You're going to let him go after all he's done to us?!"

"I can't, I just can't…"

"If you won't, I will!" Snotlout grabbed an ax from the woman standing beside him, but a voice interrupted before he could step forward.

"Uh, guys?"

Fishlegs called from the back, prompting the crowd to turn. He held a copy of the proclamation in his hands.

"Hiccup, you wanted us to read this?"

He nodded breathlessly.

"Yeah, guys, you probably want to read this too…" And he handed it off to Astrid.

* * *

><p>A month later, Astrid stared across the ocean. She recalled how, not so long ago, Hiccup had found her here, promised to change, and sung her a poem of love. The memory pained her, and she refocused on the sea.<p>

It appeared the same as it always had, but she knew it was different. It was no longer the territory of Greater Berk, but the meager holdings of the Hooligan Tribe. Their borders did not expand past the horizon any more; indeed, they barely encompassed the island.

Astrid took a deep breath, trying to relax. Just a week ago, she had accompanied Hans back to Kranzgrad. The people had seemed shocked, seeing dragons for the first time, but also to see Hans alive and well. A woman had emerged from the crowd, embracing Hans, and Astrid could see tears falling from his eyes…

And now she felt one fall from her own. She tried to brush it away, and she watched as it dropped down the cliffside into the water below. The sea churned and frothed, throwing itself against the rock in an eternal struggle. For a long time the raging battle entranced her.

"Astrid?"

Gobber's voice snapped her to the present again, and she whirled around and back.

"Gobber! Hey, Gobber. And, Toothless." The Night Fury was right behind him.

"Fishlegs is jus' wrappin' everythin' up with the Carlhorse treaty now. We're gonna need you to sign it. And then the Council's going to announce the final decision...you should be there for that."

"Alright, I'll be up in a minute, I just...needed some time to clear my head." She turned away a bit.

"Y'know, for what it's worth," Gobber came closer, "I think yer doin' a fine job as chief so far, especially with what you got heaped on you when you started."

"Thanks, Gobber," she nodded and looked back at him. "I was afraid I would have a hard time winning everyone's trust, but I guess I'm lucky things went pretty smoothly."

"I think everyone gettin' their own dragon helped things along a bit! That Hotburple I adopted, Grump? He's just the sweetest thing..."

"Heh, yeah, that's good." Astrid glanced back down to the water. "It's nice, I guess, that people don't think I'm some scary empress anymore."

"Hey," Gobber got her attention. "They're just findin' out what I knew all along." He smiled and nodded. "We're lucky to have you, don't you forget that." With that, he turned and went back to the village.

Astrid looked down at the water one more time, and Toothless came up beside her, following her gaze across the ocean. Finally she sighed, and stepped back from the edge, accompanying Toothless back towards Berk. She honestly felt eager to sign the treaty with Carlhorse; once this deal was completed, the last of the empire would formally dissolve.

That would only leave one matter to settle.

* * *

><p>Hiccup felt hands grip under his arms, and he was dragged into the main space of the Great Hall. Several chains bound his hands together, and they rattled against the stone. Similarly, his legs scraped against the floor as he was carried forward and left kneeling in the middle of a large circle of people, all sitting in chairs. His guards continued to hold his arms, and their grasp tightened if they glared at him. The room was dark, with only a single shaft of sunlight streaming in through the door.<p>

"Everyone please stand." A small man got up from his chair, and held a document in his hand. "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, also known as Lord Haddock, the Dragon Overlord of Berk?"

He just dropped his head at this, and said nothing.

"The former governors of Greater Berk, now the chiefs of the Barbaric Archipelago, have congregated and decided our formal statements on your rule, and what will be done with you." He read from the paper. "'Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, during his five years as Emperor of Greater Berk, pursued the subjugation of his people and created a state of terror that brought darkness to our lands. His actions resulted in countless deaths, and the destruction of entire communities that cannot bear witness due to the totality of their annihilation. In addition, his arbitrary institution of thralldom led to the degradation and displacement of hundreds of individuals. All of these acts we strongly condemn him for, and would drive us to call for his immediate death, several times over.

" 'However, in the wake of his proclamation ordering the peaceful dissolution of the empire, his willingness to capitulate power, and the remorse he claims to possess, we have decided to moderate our position and demand that he follow through on his promise to commit himself to exile. He will be gifted a single Gronckle to assist him on his departure, and if he shall leave the Archipelago forever, then his debt will be considered repaid by all the chiefs present.'

"Astrid," the man spoke, and Hiccup turned his head to see her. "Being his successor as chief of Berk, are there any final words you would like to say?"

He looked up at her, and she looked down, her hand over her mouth. She slowly shook her head. "I...I have nothing more."

"So be it. This meeting is over then."

Everyone left their seats and headed out the door. The ones who passed by Hiccup had a myriad of responses: they ignored him, glared at him. The short man even spit on him. "Good riddance!"

He did not respond aloud, but he began to shake, his face crumpling into tears.

Besides his guards and himself, only one person was left. Only now did he dare to speak.

"Astrid…"

She remained standing still, watching.

"Astrid, please," he reached to her.

Slowly, she stepped over to him, and he gestured for her to kneel so he could look her in the face, but she kept staring down.

"Please, look at me."

She finally looked up at him. Her sapphire eyes glimmered.

"What?" she whispered, when he didn't say anything.

"I…" he gulped. "I just don't want to forget your face."

With a sigh, she pressed her lips against his, and they caressed each other, even as Hiccup's chains clinked. Now Astrid was crying too, and their tears mixed on each other's cheeks. They held each other in a long embrace before they broke.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. For everything I did. And I just...take care of Toothless, okay?"

"He'll be alright, I learned how to fly him. He's...he's getting through it."

"Thank you, thank you."

"Come on, wrap it up." The guards lifted Hiccup back to his feet.

"Tell Gobber thank you for everything he did for me, and tell Toothless I love him. And you," he ran his hand along her hair again. "No matter what happens, I love you. Forever."

And with that he was shuffled out the door, his guards in tow. Astrid hesitated for a moment, not sure if she could say what she wanted. Then she raced outside as well, and spotted him going down the steps.

"Hiccup!"

Her shout prompted the three to turn around, and she ran down to meet them.

"Hiccup...I lost you once," she breathed. "And now I'm going to lose you again. I just want to say...I will never forget you. And I love you too. Forever."

Astrid rested her forehead against his, then stepped back, not moving from her spot as he disappeared into the village.. A few minutes later, she saw him flying through the sky on a Gronckle. She raced down to the same cliff again, and watched him fly over the water, striving to see him for as long as possible.

The buzzing blob in the sky shrank to a dot, and soon it could not longer be seen against the blue.

And that was the last Astrid ever saw of him in her waking life.

* * *

><p><strong>THE DRAGON OVERLORD<strong>

* * *

><p><em>So ends the story! And my first popular one at that - I have to write more HTTYD fanfiction in the future!<em>

_I'd like to thank my good friend Brittany Stone for reviewing every chapter for me, as well as my friends domosage and Nightfury991 for checking over various bits as well._

_Thank you, also, to everyone who left regular reviews, your input was extremely valuable in shaping the arc of the story. And of course, all of my readers - I love you all in a very platonic and not-creepy way. Your feedback helped to motivate me all the way through completion._

_For my next projects, I'm going to working on random one-shots, a bit more light-hearted after this intense morality. I'm also looking to pick up "Claude Frollo's Adventures Across Disney" again. In the meantime, I'm working on a collaboration with Nightfury991, which you can find on his profile. _

_My next really big projects, though, are going to be my first completely original book (hooray!) and a massive crossover, pitting Hiccup, Jack Frost, Merida, and Rapunzel against the strategies of Sauron. A full-length Lord of the Rings crossover, which I've been mulling over for months, is on its way!_

_At the same time, I'm considering a spin-off of this, with an alternate ending. I'd love to hear your thoughts on that._

_Thank you all, again, for your readership, and I hope to see you again soon!_


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